Unspoken
by elerielina
Summary: "Every story is true if you tell it right. What I can tell you pal, is that what I'm 'bout to tell may not be known yet, or there're many versions of it. But, can I assure you, whatever y'hear or understand of all this, there're will always be only two options: Tell it, or do it right. Otherwise, it's better remains untold."
1. Chapter 1

It started with an explosion in the middle of the night.

The precarious shed built with pieces of rusted steel and iron ruined by time quivered, shaking the dust accumulated through the cracks, falling on the heads of those who, startled, woke up in the darkness while trying to understand with the only perception of their ears what was going on out there. The blaze from the nearby bonfires leaked through a few holes, illuminating their faces, expressing the uncertainty of not knowing _now_ what calamity was unleashing out there.

The muffled whispers of the crowd mingled with the whimpers of few others, accompanied by the jingling of the chains in every nervous movement they made when approached to the walls trying to spy on the outside.

Screams and gunshots multiplied out there. Desperate and furious indications of their owners filled the silence in the middle of the pitch-black night, and a few of them, became frightening screams and distressed calls for help by the time passed, followed by brief and unbearable silences.

As the seconds passed, endless and overwhelming, anxiety and fear escalated dominating the overcrowded warehouse.

The explosions became closer and more consecutive. The cries of horror outside too.

"We need to escape!" A terrified whisper was heard among them, "They're all gonna die! They'll kill us too-!"

And then, the air froze inside their lungs.

Even in the darkness, the expressions of fear were infected in every single one of them, acknowledging, at last, _what_ was coming.

That shriek, sharp and primitive — _a battle cry_ —, pierced the night with the icy shrillness of Death.

Immediately, chaos engulfed the entire camp.

Screams and shots everywhere, unleashed hysteria and disorganization, equaling the primitive instinct of what was increasingly heard more clearly approaching unstoppable as the scourge of a plague.

The mob inside the warehouse turned mad, and those closer to the walls started to howl terrified for help against the precarious walls, clashing in despair with their hands the chains that restrained them. Terror alienated them completely.

They were going to die there. _Everyone_ was going to die.

They shouted, screamed in terror, pushed themselves or trampled one another, whilst trying to release from the shackles that also restricted them by the ankles.

"Get us the fuck out of here!" Someone cried.

The terrified supplications multiplied against the gaps of the thin walls, wrapped in howls of horror at the approach of Death, increasing the panic that, by then, had already taken complete control of the place and it was spreading in the settlement like a virus. To the desperate cries of the men who controlled the place, they were joined now by the rest of the inhabitants of the camp who fled in horror leaving their cabins and tents.

Through the cracks could be seen the silhouette of people running by, escaping, increasing the anxiety of those who, inside the precarious shed were chained, were crying out for their lives.

Continuous explosions on the edges of the settlement began to illuminate the scene, revealing the faces in which terror had perpetuated the expression of anguish and the instinct of self-preservation that had completely nullified any rational human notion, showing, in addition, the true nature of our condition of living beings. It was survival what control them all right now. It was all that matters.

The screaming and chaos outside annulled the ears with the effectiveness of a white noise, and all she could distinguish now were the wild beats of her own heart that kicked against her thoracic cavity and pulsed against her eardrums, pumping blood and adrenaline into her veins while with an iron wire, she was trying to force the lock of the chains that grasped someone from his hands and feet.

"Hurry the fuck up!" A haggard dirty old man yelled with dread, shaking his left wrist as she worked over the keyhole. There were two back and forth moves with a tense but consistent pulse, and finally, under her watchful gaze, the heavy shackles fell noisily on the dusty floor. "Feet! C'mon, _**faster!**_ " He demanded with growing despair.

When the rest of them acknowledged what she was doing, they began to crowd around her, putting their wrists or ankles before her and demanding the same work. And as she noticed it, she began to feel her phalanges ache, and the applied energy threatened to summit her fingers to numbness.

The demand to get rid of the chains was starting to become more virulent among them as the explosions were already replicated within the camp, and against the clock, she repeated the same movements, applying different pressure in each one of the locks.

Sweat ran down her back, arms, and forehead; her jaw, locked and making her ache every muscle of her neck and face. Her complete attention was in every lock that appeared before her in the gloomy place, barely illuminated at times by the explosions spreading outside; she even paid attention to those who were already free, but sure thing was that nobody would wait for anyone, and the cries of those who hadn't noticed what she was doing didn't matter either. _Survive_ : _**that**_ _matters_.

A nearby explosion rattled the structure again, and the beams wavered above their heads. The mob howled in horror.

"It'll crushes us!" The voice of a terrified woman caused everyone to despair even more and started to scream.

She didn't mind. Her nerves were in every keyhole that appeared before her eyes.

She was free a while ago.

 _Someone has to make a difference_ , she heard someone say long ago. That poor bastard was already dead for sure.

It never mattered to her, because doing it could mean her own doom. If you don't survive, what's the whole point?

Every day was about to survive and avoid death, even when some damn beggar died right before her eyes crying out for mercy. Even if he deserved to die or not.

If you care, it'd be possible you die, and with it, who you were trying to protect.

But _not_ today.

Today was an exception.

The only one of the new batches of merchandise that had arrived didn't reach the 10 years of age. His cheeks were dirty and wet from the tears of despair; his eyes, huge and dark, pleading. He only needed to say it once. _I'm scared_ , she heard him sob, and that old saying from that long-doomed fool hitted her mind making her snap.

With a thunderous stomp then, the shed's door was kicked open making everyone scream in fear. A man from the village appeared with unsteady pace; kinetic shotgun in his hands, and his face disfigured with anxiety and dread. He scrutinized each one of them, hesitant and contemplating the fate of those who were left by their own, surely to die alone like the animals they think they're; those, who ragged, dirty and malnourished, for a few seconds, appreciated that man in the same way as someone appreciates what is divine. They cried then, begging for their freedom to this unlikely savior.

Fire contrasted the silhouette of this man she identified as part of the militarized group in the settlement, one of their smugglers. But the more she observed him, clearer she could see it: he was bathed in blood, and the dirt of the desert was impregnated all over his body.

It was a disturbing realization: there was a slaughter out there.

Immediately, he started to shoot at the chains of whoever it was near, alarming the rest only for a moment and then exhorted them to stand up and run the hell out of there.

"Leave! _NOW!_ " He bellowed, shaking his grown beard with the movement of his jaw as he continued firing to the chains.

 _He's dead_ , she thought. _We're all dead!_

People began to scream and run around her while this man free them, and regaining the notion of her surroundings while the gunshots deafen her, instinct finally gripped on her once more as many times before.

She threw away the wire, hitched up the hopeless child in floods of tears and began to run for their lives like the rest.

The moment she crossed the doorstep, her nostrils were filled with the odor of blood mixed with gunpowder and dirt, causing her overwhelming fear. The nauseating stench product of the butchery injected more adrenaline in her body.

She paralyzed for a few seconds, looking around the whole place turned a mayhem of people running for their lives to The Flats and away from the hills, and finally, she reacted and started to run with the horrified child in her arms. _She needed to escape_.

Her ears buzzed as her breath escaped of her chest while she was fleeing with all her might. She could hardly pay attention to her surroundings while her badly shod feet pushed against the dusty ground. Fire was the only way to distinguish the dread hidden in the shadows.

Between the deafness and the panic, those howls were the only thing that pierced the numbness that was beginning to saturate her eardrums product of hysteria.

They were much more while the seconds passed.

They were surrounded by those beasts.

The little boy clung onto her while he was crying helplessly. She could feel her thighs hurt from the effort of running. People who she couldn't identify pass by her escaping, paying little attention or even giving her any help. The explosions became more violent and consecutive, and where shrapnel shots were heard before, now were replaced by an unmistakable and distinctive noise and its light: _Arc weapons_.

The horde that was striding down the hill began to suppress the little resistance. Every shot that hit the ground blow up the place in a ferocious explosion. They fell from above like a thousand strikes of deathly light.

There was no time to take shelter or hide.

Passing a crossroads between tents and another shed, the desperate warning of a stranger trying to escape bellowed from behind with a sense of dread. But it was already too late.

" _ **INCOMING!**_ "

She was hit by the impact of the explosion several steps away, throwing both the child and her with another poor wretches against a near barricade. She lost the strength of her arms, and the boy slipped from her grip.

Everything went dark for a second.

The deafness and the lack of orientation only allowed her to perceive her own heartbeat. She blinked several times trying to get focus on what was going on around her. The lack of stability made her those same times lean her forehead against the ground, impregnating her whole face with dust and dirt, causing her to spit and cough the sour and dry taste of her mouth every time she breathed. Everything was spinning violently around her. She didn't have the strength or the balance to stand up. Almost nothing was audible aside the screaming and the explosions, and the sensitivity to the light made her notice that she was still stunned.

Groping for, she searched around with difficulty with her hands, scratching the soil and getting more and more desperate when she couldn't find who was then the focus of her concern.

She managed to stand up with the little strength she achieved, staggering and panting, only to discover how someone lifted the unconscious small child she was protecting and carried it away in his arms.

She shouted to him, desperate in a futile attempt to try to stop him, stumbling several times as she tried to chase him. She needed to reach him. She wouldn't die in vain.

The bursts of light multiplied across the blackness of the sky, landing violently on the structures to kill everyone in the area. Those weapons, which she knew, were no match for the scant and rudimentary armament that their traffickers handled; those weapons were going to erase them to oblivion.

Those creatures were lethal and came by night, when their presence symbolized with overwhelming dread to any creature, human or not, that they won't reach the dawn.

Even so, she wasn't going to die. _Not today_.

She recovered slowly her strength and ran desperately towards the raptor. She wasn't going to leave him with any of those men, nobody was worth of trust. That child wouldn't be safe with anyone, except with her. _She knew it_.

She was about to reach him when different detonations shook the area again. She kept running, covering her head but not looking away from her target.

As she passed by a second crossroads, directly towards the desert plains, she could hear hundreds of cries of complete terror ahead. A large group of people emerged from the shadows and ran in the opposite way, yelling at them with alarm that _that_ route was no longer safe. They ran like hell passing beside her and making her stop suddenly and paralyzing in place. The heart in her throat and the cold of terror running down her spine.

And then, she saw _them_.

They appeared through the flames several meters ahead from where the terrified multitude had retreated, like a Wrath, and began to slaughter with a killing blow whatever came across their path with their long arms and huge swords.

Those shrieks materialized right before them, and with a single deafening unison, they cried out for more blood in a final assault.

Another explosion burst the air in that way, and the terrified mass of people who tried to escape to The Flats began to back away scared to death, stepping on each other to save their own asses.

There was nowhere to escape. They came from the front too.

They were _all_ dead.

Paralyzed by that horrific vision while her whole body was trembling with terror, at the next second, she tried to follow the trail of the child's abductor among the frightened crowd, realizing with fear that he wasn't there anymore.

Her throat was knotted and her vocal folds sore for cry out, the fear became irrepressible crushing her chest. She had failed, she'd die!

Another explosion burst behind her, and she was certain that the first wave of the horde would appear around at any second. She could hear the swords of that demons tearing apart the flesh of whoever cross their path and the shots of the weapons carbonizing everyone near.

There was no time, she needed to escape. _Not today!_ it was the only thing that throbbed in her head against all odds.

Screaming in terror, the few around her began to run with the only instinct of survival. She backed up a few steps before turning and running back the way she had come along, while the anguish and helplessness for loose that poor child tried to paralyze her.

It mattered once. It would be her death if _now_ , it mattered too much.

She had regained her strength, and her instincts allowed her to recover her balance quickly. She accelerated, until something caught her attention in the desperation to escape.

Something _unexpected_.

Shooting, and the bewildered screams of the horde of beasts.

She pivoted puzzled, recognizing the detonations by its brightness and sound. Pulse weapons, energetic type, kinetic weapons too, and flux grenades.

 _Someone else_ was out there.

She hesitated for a second but trying that it not mattered too much. Now, she needed to escape.

The counteroffensive, whoever they are, was approaching from The Flats, same territory from where these creatures wanted to cornered them; It'd seem that they wanted to do the same. She kept running despite that, her chest burning with an uncontrolled heartbeat.

She went around the corner of an old structure, and suddenly, a lost disturbed cry put her on alert.

Before the scared people, who came from the sides and some frontwards, could stop or even notice it, she braked on her tracks, sliding and falling noisily on her back at the same exact time that one of those ghoulish beasts jumped off from a ledge, cutting off their escape with a terrifying shriek. It was massive, grotesque and wild, with multiple eyes glowing with spectral light as she could achieved to see. It howled with ferocity before its new preys.

Although, falling on her back saved her.

In a single lethal blow, with its sword already drenched in unknown blood, that thing it split in half other two who couldn't avoid it while they were trying to escape.

She barely was able to keep her shit together and started to scream in horror at the repulsive feeling all over her skin. Blood and flesh were everywhere, bathing her whole body in the blood of complete strangers. She scratched terrified the bloody mud where she was laying, recoiling in a desperate impulse to get up and run away for her life.

When she managed to get up, she turned to the right along with other people who stumble upon in horror and witnessed the bloodshed. There was a path hidden in the darkness that lead to an abandoned mine and a salvage yard. That was her only chance to make it.

She didn't want to look back. Death was chasing her.

The beastly howl of that creature was on her heels, firing over her head and over the few people who were running like hell a few steps before her, causing several structures to threaten to collapse in their way and crush them.

What a sadistic and perverse display that beast seemed to have, that it didn't even care to spare them the suffering and die from a clean shot, but the agony of being torn and crushed by a collapse.

The road began to turn into a labyrinth with several small passages, and the small group that fled started to spread as they run through it.

She didn't hesitate, and as soon as she could, on the run, dodging and jumping debris as they fell, turned to the nearest passage. It was narrow than the other, and it was impossible for that beast to get through it, even from above. She was certain of lost it and only turned _once_ to look back.

It wasn't so.

That beast jumped using the impulse of its powerful legs over the steel beams that crossed over the narrow passage, howling and claiming for blood, trying several times to shoot through the spaces that the steel bars showed.

She accelerated with all her strength screaming in horror, and as she fled, the passage grew darker with brief flashes of the explosions from the settlement and the tremors of those same violent burst shaking the place.

The small alley led first to the junkyard. The only glow that it was there was from the fire scattered in the distance that could cast some dim light in the area and the bright of the explosions of the unexpected counteroffensive that had begun to eradicate the horde of creatures of the night.

As she escaped, above her, the structure that covered the passage had disappeared, and what it lay before her was an open field of piles of twisted and rusted scrap of metal. She could hear its howls and strides against the rafters from behind.

All the muscles of her body were on fire, her lungs were lit, and her heart was pumping out of control. There was another passage a few meters away that went off to the side of the hill, and it was her only chance to survive. She needed to get to that passage, or it was over.

The squeak of the iron structures was heard to give in while the creature's howl was plowing through the air. She didn't dare to look back, it was just behind, above her.

She was going to die.

A pulse of energy shot went through the air in a gust of golden light.

It was followed by several gunshots that hit the creature in the air, throwing it against several steel skeletons because of the impact, causing it to writhe in spasms of wrathful pain while it was trying to get back on its feet. It roared louder, angered and bewildered. Someone had snatched its prey.

She tripped over, falling loudly onto her knees while trying to slow her pace, shocked for not understand what was going on now.

A sudden light appeared pointing at her and began to float forward, blinding her sight and approaching with constant speed. She tried to stand up, blinded and puzzled, but she fell again on her back backing up in desperation, using her arms and legs to try to get away from another potential hostile.

"Hey!" An alarmed voice was heard. An odd voice.

It didn't matter. She needed to flee; what was before her wasn't human and it was clear and couldn't consider it inoffensive.

In the moment she achieves to get up and turn around, she sees the creature under the blinding light, making her stifle a horrified cry of terror and stumbling backwards. It was massive with four arms, heavy armored with a hideous mask covering its head and patches of fur hanging over its cape and around its neck. It threw another furious shriek as it wielded the red-tinged blades with two of its arms, and a heavy assault weapon on its others.

Bleeding but still energetic, it charged against the light with a venomous rage at the same time she screamed and threw herself aside backtracking crawling afterwards.

A fleeting silhouette appeared in the path of that light, dodging the gunshots of the weapon of that creature first, quick and accurate; running at full speed against the huge body and pointing the light at the beast while avoiding gracefully the mortal blows and attacking with his own gun.

And then, dimness.

It was a blurry movement against the gloom light of the mayhem that was happening downhill.

A jumping shadow first, a flicker light later, three gunshots and the sound of a slash tearing the flesh at the soft spot of the heavy armor with sharp precision.

Scared, she couldn't process anything that was happened, and coming back to her senses, managed to get up and run away.

"Wait!" That voice sounded more frightened than before, and the light appeared again behind her and pointing at her direction to where she was running.

Without the slightest doubt, she brake on her steps just to take a slab from the ground throwing it to whoever it was, knowing she might hit the target but causing the light to dodge it.

"WOW, nice shot! But why was that?!" It was heard with bafflement. That voice was sounding less human by seconds passed, and whatever it was, it was trying insistently to approach her.

While she escaped, she could easily listen the accelerated pace of this unexpected menace running after her, noticing too late then while kept running that this wasn't the right passage. She mislead it!

The entrance to the mine had several fallen beams that crossed the tunnel, she get through it by jumping above and ducking, feeling that her new pursuer was even more persistent than the previous one. The light that was chasing her made easier the escape at moments, lighting up the treacherous path ahead, only difficult when the angles of the bright made the shadows dance.

"Hey, pretty one! Don't go in there! it's dangerous! _**Stop!**_ " This voice sounded like a man, and as more as they ran through the mine, the more this stranger sounded distressed.

 _"_ _She's in shock! She won't listen to us!"_ Another voice, female, soft and shy and equally distressed but notoriously more synthetic than the other was heard from behind. She panicked at the possibility of two pursuers and speed up.

"Oh, but of course she won't! Seriously, would'ya stop running to ask ' _hey, you gonna kill me or not'_?" The sarcastic tone was confusing, even though feeling it a threat while she was dodging obstacles. "HEY! _You must stop running!_ Ain't safe there!" The attention was directed towards her again, she could feel it.

And then, the light behind her seemed to increase its brightness and, for her surprise, like if it having its own will and apparently its own plans to manage the situation, it overtook whatever it was accompanying it, increasing its speed, cutting her escape in a swift move and blinding her all at once, directing its beam of light and causing her to stumble on her tracks.

She covered her eyes because brightness was hurting her eyes. Scared and screaming, in a desperate attempt to defend herself, she slapped the air trying to connect a hit, and failing.

She was surrounded, frightened and gasping for air.

The haste steps were heard closer and closer, getting slow as this new thread approached her. Each step was measured and cautious, but constant.

She turned to face it, and all she could see in the glow of the narrow corridor was the figure of what appeared to be a man emerging from the shadows: hooded in worn dark gray cloths and cape, with light leather equipment and light armor. A gun case with its gun in it was holstered in the small of his back, and a knife on the left side of his waist.

But she looked twice then with a sense of dread, discovering something else when she sharpened her sight. _It wasn't look like a human_.

Its eyes shone in bright teal blue light and, as its voice betrayed it, its features showed the synthetic work of men. It was a mechanical being with the shape of a human.

She started to shudder in panic at the fact of being trapped and helpless without nothing to defend herself with, she began slowly to step back against the wall's tunnel, clutching her fingers against the walled stonewalls in search of anything to use as a weapon.

"OK, I'm not _that_ creepy. There's no need to look at me like that, but I need you to calm down and come with me _right now._ " It was speaking to her in a carefree but amenable tone that only make her more frightened at the sight of its modulator lighting up in bright golden light, showing what, with the glow of that floating light that still blind her and the light of its own vocal chords, she could interpret as its jawbone imitating the facial movement of speech.

The hands where she could see it to identify itself as an inoffensive being, it was studying her carefully for any aggressive reactions. It wasn't going to let her get away.

She could feel a knot in her throat and the physical exhaustion that began to play against her. She began to slide warily against the wall in the direction that she came, while the light in front of her was floating with tentative moves and examined her every movement. She spied briefly what it was, not being able to understand what kind of being could be, only discovering same similarities with the individual that spoke to her and presented itself as friend. It was small like a ball with pointed blades, and it moved them in short and tense movements before the situation. Its only bright eye looking at her with same carefulness.

"Are we cool then? There's no need to keep running. I killed that bastard, but it's not safe for us to stay here, y'hear me? We need to get the hell out of here 'cause this could collapse in any second," It spoke. The voice modulator lit up each time it emitted a sound, illuminated the features of its face in a way that was frightening her.

With a sudden tremor, the whole mine quivered shaking the dust between the wood of the walls with a growling eco of the explosions in the distance, making her despair and choke an anguish whine. Immediately, she looked back at this individual that with watchful and concerned gaze examined every corner of the tunnel while dust was suspended on the air.

"See now? I told ya is dangerous, so- if you just listen to me, kid… I can get both of us safe," It insisted looking back at her with attentiveness.

She didn't answer, still shocked by its presence, and starting to get upset the more she listened to it and insisted on blocking her escape.

Whatever it was, it noticed her attitude, and gesturing and shaking its head in frustration tried to continue to persuade her.

"Look, I don't wanna to take it the wrong way, but it's just _very_ rude to stare at people like that! Even though, well- I'm not exactly what you'd consider a _'person'_ so to speak, but huh- Nevermind!" It shrugged, taking care of any sudden movement and still trying to sound casual.

She doesn't even care. Irritated and bathed in her own sweat, mixed with the stench of blood and mud, and her eyes full of tears, she hid her hands behind her back crawling discreetly her fingers against the wall, searching for something to use, something sharp. She found nothing.

She noted that this being had a tentative move to make an approach, barely sliding its left foot towards her.

"We cool?" It asked. She perceived that the tone of its voice was becoming tense but concern now, and still with its hands up, another small tentative step narrowed the space between them, frightened her even more.

Her breathing was constrictive and not very disguised because of the fear. It was the only thing that it was been heard in the passage as well as the mechanical movements of this peculiar light emitting device that illuminated her.

Another light drags of the boots of what was cornering her was listened again in the tense silence of the tunnel, making her stress even more, perceiving the attempts to narrow the distance at last as new tremors echoed through the corridor. She could see in the gloom, its bright pupils examining her with heed.

And then, the noise of an incoming radio signal ripped through the air, alarming them both.

 _"_ _Cayde?! Where the hell are you! Answer, over!_ "

She saw it startle and look at the small device with a sense of reprehension. It was all what she needed to run away again, this time, to the exit.

She didn't give it time to react that she used all the strength she still had, but her rate pace faded unlike minutes ago, making her stumble while jumping obstacles. She was exhausted.

"I thought we were cool!" It yelled frustrated at her from behind starting to chase her again.

She spied above her shoulder to see if she had any chance to lose it, and almost instantly, she heard it screamed at her with fright, "WATCH YOUR STEPS!"

She turned then, and because of the movement of the light that chased her and the lack of perspective, she didn't saw a beam blocking her path, making her stumble and hitting her head with a loud thud against a rock.

The impact stunned her, making her fall to the ground with a dull sound.

The stabbing pain was making everything turn hazy, and she could feel her whole head burning. She was starting to lose consciousness, listening barely the hurried footsteps of its pursuer approaching and the light that accompanied it blinding her fully again.

She blinked confused a couple of times trying to stay focus, whining and trying to throw useless slaps to defend herself. The silhouette of that individual knelt beside her and started to call her, shaking her by the shoulders with urgency and snapping anxiously its fingers in front of her face. "Hey, girl! _Hey!_ Don't you dare to fall asleep! Look at me, _look-at-me_! _Eyes on me_! Do you hear me?! _HEY!_ " Its worried voice was getting distant every time she tried to fight the stupor.

And then, the only thing she could see or hear around was the brightness and the noisy chatter of the radio transmission.

Her body started to feel heavy and without strength, sensing barely being lifted later; then came the smooth touch of leather, the smell of gunpowder and earthy scent, some muffled angry swearing, and lastly the cold against the skin of her exposed arms and legs before everything went silent.


	2. Chapter 2

The sensations were returning little by little.

The first thing that she felt was the brush of her skin against the rudimentary wool of a blanket, then her body moving heavily inside some sheets and the sensation of being laying down, and finally, the smell of dust mixed with alcohol and disinfectant started to wake her up.

She tried to move her head, discovering a sharp pain that caused her to choke an anguish moan that seemed to trigger moves around her that she couldn't identify. The motion of her arms was still clumsy and bring her hands to her forehead only caused her more pain. She felt with all her fingers the contour of her head; it was bandaged, and the tips of her fingers felt slightly wet when she touched her left side.

She blinked starting to feel anxious, bright burned in her retinas causing her to squeeze her eyelids in a symptom of discomfort. She needed to see her hands at the feeling of moisture, because her instincts were telling her that was her own blood what she was feeling.

"Easy, dear...", A gentle whispering female voice approached taking her wrists hesitantly and freighting her. "You banged your head really hard. You need to stay still and rest", Insisted.

She heard water run off about three times as she slowly moved her head on both sides before try to open her eyes again.

Turning to her left, she managed to focus her sight, less and less blurry by the seconds passed, founding the long pale face of a woman right beside where she was laying; hazel eyes and a tired expression greeted her with a gentle smile. She looked thin; her frame, hard to tell because of the loose gray shirt and cargo-pants she was wearing, talked about a woman that was barely slim than her, although a lot shorter. She could tell because of how little she perceived the distance between both it felt; motherly eyes with the apprehension of letting go a hurted child.

"That's it, slowly. Don't make sudden movements and it won't hurt. You must get used to it carefully", She explained as she tried to bring a wet cloth to her lips.

Distrustfully, she startled at the beginning, taking the wrist of the unknown woman with some firmness, but as soon as she gave in, the humidity of the cloth caused the avid need to suck and collect the liquid it contained.

"Easy. You're dehydrated, just a few drops at the beginning", She explained with a little more joviality in the exhausted tone of her voice.

"Water. Please ..." She pleaded in a murmur, licking her lips and gripping with poor strength the wrist of the woman.

She could feel her throat sore and dry, and her skin felt tight while her mouth salivated at the expectation of more liquid. Her voice was a sorrowful lament asking to please give her what she desperately wanted, and when she achieved to look at that woman with more attention, all she saw was her examining her for a moment, recognizing in that woman's eyes the gaze of someone who has sorrow and feel sad about something. She looked closely and realized that this woman was looking the wrist with which she was holding her arm.

There was thoughtfulness in woman's expression, and she couldn't understand why. All she just looked was a scar on her left wrist.

There was a brief silence when she let go the woman's arm and saw her trying to focus on something else. Then, the woman spoke. "I need to examine your head first. I think one of the stiches could be open", She saw her simulate a smile, depositing the rag inside of a basin with water, and then turning walking a few steps away to a near table in which she heard the brief screech of metal.

That sound made her feel a dreadful sensation as she gathered the little strength she had to rose up half of her body with her elbows in the need to look what was on the table, just to end complaining as she felt her head dizzy and beating like a drum.

"Oh! Please, be still! Doing any effort in this state could be worse for you. Lay down and rest", The woman asked again with gentle tone, just looking at her once while she was putting some thin gloves like silk. She saw her made her way to her again, sitting in the same stool she was when she woke up, realizing for the look in which that woman was looking at her that she wasn't having any reservation on her distrust.

"I can see you don't trust me. But still, you don't need to worry about. I'm not going to hurt you, dear. You're safe here."

She looked at the girl in the cot and sighed gesturing a kind smile at the apprehensive expression on the girl's face; dark gray expressive eyes followed each one of her movements with uneasiness, and every sound looked new and terrifying for her. She was not going to listen to her, _of course she wouldn't_ ; as she remained with the weight of her thin body on her elbows, from time to time, examining with suspicion the place where she was, she tried to measure every one of her moves to prevent scare her.

An old warehouse the girl realized, _a very old one_. Something that stirred her stomach with restlessness.

Huge and with several walkways on the opposite wall where the tent was staked, or what appeared to be an impromptu medical care room, was barely covered with old scraps of disused tens above steel structures. The shed of the complete warehouse could be seen between the spaces that the pieces of fabric allowed to show and the improvised screens surrounded the cot where she was lying down; there was another cot on the opposite side of the table next to her cot, a steel table was a few steps behind the woman, and several standing lamps stood at each one of the corners of the improvised place.

She could hear the rumble of people out there in what she could recognize as if they're working and giving instructions in which, it could appear as an ordinary day. It couldn't see too much, but behind the strips of the thick fabric huge long steel boxes were piled up, making the access to the medical tent kind of protected, only allowing spontaneous currents of breeze to pass through the open spaces.

"You were lucky when they brought you here," She heard the woman talk to her. "You've really got a good bump in your head, you know; We had to stitched you a little. You were injured and bleeding because of the hit," She mentioned while pouring disinfectant on a clean cloth under her watchful eye. "They told me that you tried to escape when they try to rescued you, and when you didn't make it trying to dodge a beam while you were running away, you fall over," She saw the woman turn her gaze to her and keep talking. "You have strength! Despite your... general condition. The man who was trying to get you into safety almost can't reach you! And that's… _something._ " She said amused with a smirk.

She blinked in confusion as she tried to collect her thoughts, frowning and squeezing her lips as she tried to get sit better on the precarious cot and still feeling her body and head hurt. She made a mental effort while feeling the huge bandage that surrounded the contour of her skull, trying several times to make something come to her mind, but nothing that woman said seemed familiar.

She distracted herself just for a few minutes, trying to pay attention at her current state. She was wearing an old T-shirt with long sleeves, not her size but larger enough to cover from torso to hips, the smell of disinfectant and evident signs of have had better days was all that could describe that piece of cloth. Then, at the sensation of feel her body with both her hands while she inspected the touch of cloth and feeling nothing but what she was wearing, she started to panic, touching every corner of herself including her private parts just to be certain, revolving in the uneasiness feeling at the discover of being helpless and naked under an unfamiliar gaze in an unknown and growing menacing place.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry ..." The woman's distressed voice was heard. She returned an anxious distrustful look at her, perceiving concern at the sign of being understand what she was considering at the finding and why she looked panicked. "I had to dump it all. Let's say ... it was beyond repair ..."

Her nerves were climbing her stomach and her pulse accelerating, the heat of embarrassment blushing her ears, face and the rest of her body.

"Why-! What happened!" Escaped from her lips in a stifled concerned exclamation.

The woman reclined her head slightly to one side and narrowed her eyes, confused.

"When they found you, you were an utter mess. I had to clean you up to confirm that you didn't have any other severe injuries, apart from bruises and cuts."

She didn't understand and started to desperate try to recall anything that could help her to remember and find an explanation while inspecting the heel of her hands, seeing what it looked like little scars, and then taking her head over the bandage, beginning to despair. Why she can't recall anything!?

Then, reacting, she shook the blanket off her legs anxiously, discovering with shock several scratches and bruises all over her legs as far as she could see and just as she was told.

Something terrible bad happened to her, and becoming aware of this, she forced herself to remember, but at the end, nothing came.

The woman left all she was doing and approached her with carefulness, trying to calm her down. "It's okay, it's okay..." She whispered, seeking her gaze as she took her hands and pushed them away from her head. "I know, dear... It's a lot to process…".

She crossed the woman's soft hazel eyes and tried to read in theirs what was that she wasn't telling her, but only found concern first, and finally, again, sorrow.

"You don't remember, do you..." Her voice was sad and mournful, as if she regretted have open her mouth.

"What happened-!" She demanded with growing despair and harsh voice, while she could feel her eyes filling with tears.

The woman's expression changed drastically. Her expression darkened, and the heaviness of a whole life overshadowed her gaze.

"You need to rest", is all she said mechanically with sorrow in her voice, averting her gaze but barely squeezing her hands in a supportive gesture for a few moments before moving toward the table next to them.

"Wait! Please-! Tell me-!" Her voice faltered as she extended her arm to her, pleading for answers. "Why I don't remember anything?! I can't recall anything you said! How did I get here?!" Her voice escaped from her mouth despite the lump in her throat.

The woman looked up from her tasks on the table with the same expression of sorrow as before, trying to conceal a smile of comfort to calm her down. "You need to rest, and your memory will return soon enough."

She could only feel the overwhelming sensation of discomfort and constriction in her chest before to cry. She searched with her hands the safety of the blanket that had covered her and hugged herself looking down at the feeling of being helpless. She felt that same feeling in how the woman try to continue with her work, and then, look at her with her whole face flushed with anguished tears and silent pleading, just staring at her and asking to please answer her demands.

"Now, I'm going to examine the stitches again, and then you'll have a glass of water, OK?" This woman said at the end still trying to calm her by simulating a gentle casual voice again.

She felt discourage, examining her movements out of the corner of her eye like a reflection that was familiar but distant, and then rubbed her hands against her forearms as a sign of self-preservation while trying to stop sobbing.

When she managed to compose herself, some footsteps were heard stopping right outside of the tent, and then, a careless movement in the entrance made her startle revealing the shape of a man and provoking the instinctive reaction of covering herself with the blanket, reclining her knees to her chest.

The woman turned surprised and then upset, sighing with consternation but relieved at the newcomer.

"The closed door means something, you know..." Her tone became familiar, relaxed and reproachful.

This man smiled with awkwardness as the woman turned her attention to the table, turning her back on him.

"Yeah huh, I see… my bad. I should clear my throat or something. Sorry Carina…"

The newcomer's voice was soft but manly, rough at the edge of each word but gentle; he had strong jaw and serious expression on his thick frowns, he barely managed to show an apologetic smile on his thin lips realizing that, maybe, it wasn't definitely a good time to stay there.

She studied him carefully, distrustful of the presence of a man in the same place where she was while curling up on the cot as if she felt threaten; Bronzed skin and strong expressive black eyes tried to pry his eyes on everywhere else but her; short curly messy hair all over his head appeared when he had the tact to remove the worn blue-grayish hood of the cape he was wearing to prevent she could feel more distressed; his dark-gray leather equipment with patterns of red had traces of dust and dry mud, and also on the soles and the tips of his boots were filthy with it. An unpleasant but oddly familiar feeling climb to her when she noticed that, just like an old sensation on her skin

And then, he turned to her. Her sharp gaze was on him and he noticed.

"Sorry for trouble you, kiddo…" He excused himself with a kind gesture, addressing her a forced line on his lips with a beard of few days.

He averted his eyes as soon as he can to spare her more embarrassment, and then approached to a stool at the edge of the cot, looking at the woman who, already with the cloth soaked in disinfectant, turned towards the girl without mind him just it was an usual drill for them.

She looked at him out of the corner of the eye, surveying this newcomer with suspicion and at the woman with reluctance. Something was odd with this man and the way he looked like.

"So, how's The Valley? Any news?" This woman renowned as Carina asked in what appeared to be a daily routine as she watched him settle in front of the cot.

"We tried to move without calling too much attention while we surveyed the area. There were no signs of movements for now, which doesn't mean that it won't be later," He explained sighing and crossing his arms, legs extended and crossed too. "They're hidden in the mountains for sure, probably reorganizing their squads." He made silence, taking a fleeting restless look at the girl with anxiety in his eyes. "We surprised'em. They didn't expect us."

There was tension in his voice, she noticed it, as if was natural for her to detect a lie in a man's eyes: he was omitting information on propose. _They_ _both_ were doing so.

Carina gave him a meaningful and serious look, nodding subtly before turning again her attention to the girl's bandage.

"If the perimeter and this area are safe, at least for a couple of days, we won't have to make any plans. Even though, the coastal zone can be dangerous and we'd have to avoid The Desert." She mentioned removing the gauze strips with precise hands, lap after lap.

The girl avoided eye contact with the newcomer.

Something in him caused her deep discomfort, at times she directed her attention trying to disguise it, feeling all the muscles of her back tense, while she barely stretched her legs inside the blankets, leaving the arms mechanically in her lap.

There was an awkward silence before the man resumed the conversation. He cleared his throat, swaying just once on the stool and looking around casually. The silence extended more than it should be, and Carina, after finish to remove the bandage, sighed sarcastically grinning at the corner of her thin lips.

"Anything else?" She looked at him playfully before turning around and discard the bandage in a bin passing by the table.

The man smiled shaking his head and lowing her head, hiding the little smile in his face whilst shaking his head.

"Then everything in order, Andal. You may go..." Carina's voice was even more mocking as she gently placed the cloth with disinfectant on the girl's head.

"Yes, ma'am!" He whispered playfully. His voice hiding a giggle and rousing to his feet at once.

"And please, the closed door _means_ _something_. Tell'im." She heard her say.

"I will!"

Carina couldn't help but hide a chuckle as she carefully cleaned the wound with the cloth over the girl's scalp and look him go.

"Dunno if he'd listen, but I'm tellin'im anyway."

He added joking before disappearing behind the entrance and making the woman snort.

She endured the pain of the disinfectant on the wound and the cold running down her neck as the liquid stirred of the cloth. Suspicious and tense by the clear allusion in codes in front her, she heard Carina sigh more relieved when that man, _Andal_ , slipped out of the tent, but in an instant felt a slight shock when in the background, that same man spoke with another in a tone of reproach. She could hear them kind of argue and approach standing a few steps close to the entrance.

"Oh, for goodness sake!" The woman mumbled irritated beside her, noticing that she was shaking her head, resigned. "The closed door **_means_** something!" Carina yelled startling and making her turned to look directly at her with uneasiness. "Ugh, so sorry, dear! I didn't mean to scare you, but- just- Hold on a sec-"

Before getting away from her, snorting and rubbing her wrist across her forehead in a gesture of resignation. She noticed Carina checked that the wound was okay and then hurried to the entrance, swearing under her breath, poking her head and part of her body out to say the same exact words she had spoken out loud with more emphasis.

"Do you understand when someone says ' _the closed door_ ** _means_** _something_ ' is just _that_ and nothing else? We need privacy over here!"

The girl leaned forward, out of the shelter of the blanket, helping with her hands to stabilize on the treacherous cot while paying attention to the voices.

"I told him! But I did warn you he won't listen." Andal sounded, yet joyful, resigned.

"OK then, but _now I AM_ telling _you_ , that it is _not_ a good time. You could distress her even more." Carina sounded firm as the gestures of her body reassured her words, her dark brown hair with spark of white tided up precariously shook with every word and anxious nods.

" _Even more_?! But- listen Doc, you should've seen that girl throwing me that stone that night and almost aiming. _A stone_! If my lil' buddy here wouldn't dodge it, and believe me, I don't know how she managed to do it yet- I'm still shocked! Could you imagine that she'd just might killed me? _Me_?! Dead by stoning?!"

She retreated to her place on the cot perturbed after hearing that voice.

Something wasn't right about it. Even if it sounded like a man, carefree and witted, it doesn't sound right. Something was odd.

"Yeah, sure! Look- I understand you've been worried about her, but she had a serious contusion, and as much as you want her to apologies to you, or give her some sort of _odd_ recognition on your own way, she won't remember any of it." Carina's concerned voice tried to modulate her intensity by stopping almost instantly in a hushed tone. "She might have a temporary memory loss. We couldn't know now if she can recall anything of that night, or before..."

Her heart quickened when she heard those words, and again, she could feel the trembling in her limbs as she finally certified that something _had_ happened, and she didn't remember anything at all. Something serious.

"It's _that_ bad huh. Geez..." That voice lamented.

"Exactly! Therefore, if you came in, you could distress her even more. She already felt distressed when Andal show up. So _please_ , I need you to listen to me just once."

"Told ya, pal! She's fine! There's no need to worry about! It's too much info for her right now. She's in Doc's good hands. She'll take care of her" Andal's calm voice sounded again near the entrance, accompanied by his own steps on the spot and those of a third party.

She slid carefully off the cot, feeling the cold against her feet after she stood on the pavement of the warehouse, shuddering at the unpleasant feeling while paying attention to the development of the conversation.

"I didn't want to trouble you Doc, but ... seriously? I really need to recognize a talent when I see it! Damn if this doesn't make me wanna be some sort of a mentor, dunno what it'll do! Still remember that hook!" That third one boasted in a tone of complete awe and lightness with Andal's unconcealed laughter in the background.

" _You_?! Teaching someone else? You sure she didn't hit bullseye?"

"Buddy! Look at my face! _I'm stunned!_ "

They both cackled.

"OK, cut the bullshit, Cayde! I need to get back to work!" Carina seemed to try to hide her laughter as she slowly turned her body back in. "I'll let you know when she's recovered. She'll have to join the crew when I see that she's OK."

She heard the footsteps of those men walking away after a few seconds, and before the doctor returned her attention to her, in a quick movement, she took a knife on the work table and hid it in the long sleeves of the, unnecessary, huge t-shirt she was wearing.

When Carina turned completely inside the medical tent, and walking only a few steps, she stopped suddenly, startled, discovering the girl standing on her feet and looking at her.

"Hey! What's wrong? You shouldn't be on your feet." Her voice was restless, and she forced a smile, unable to express the same on her gaze.

The girl shifted unease in place, looking everywhere with distressed eyes at the possibility of being discovered.

"I, uhmmm ... I'm thirsty." She excused herself with her deep voice, trying not to hesitate. Her dark eyes shifted uncomfortably as she peeked through the entrance of the tent the movements on the outside.

Carina seems to tense in the beginning and then try to ignore the sentation of distrust that seems to express the body language of the girl. She took a few steps to approach her with a smile, only to be received immediately with the threat of a knife pointed at her. She paralyzed at once.

"Please- Wait-" Fear slipped of the doctor's vocal cords.

" _What_ happened? Who are you people?! Why I can't remember anything?! What happened to me?!" She shouted, advancing and making the woman retreat. "Answer me!"

"Alright, listen- _Please_ \- You're in shock!" Carina replied with fear.

That phrase made somewhere in her mind a little bit of a clash. She had heard it or had the feeling of having heard it before.

"I don't fucking care! Tell me what happened and who you are _right_ _now_!" She exhorted feeling her body burning and her face tense with anger, threatening another step further.

Carina tried to calm her again, her hands held high, and outside, hasty footsteps rang against the pavement coming to the rescue.

The whole situation made her feel a frighteningly familiar feeling. A door in front of her and the threat of being trapped.

"Carina?!" Andal's exalted voice was approaching fast, bursting into the medical tent with worry, startling both women with the abruptness of the intrusion.

"WAIT! Don't come in-!"

"DOC!" The other man shouted.

That third subject appeared right behind Andal, and any intention Carina could have had before trying to avoid further interference, was now useless.

The girl recoiled in fright, trembling with the tension in her outstretched arm in which she held the only weapon she had found. Those who, seconds ago, kept a relaxed conversation at the entrance were now standing in front of her, seeing her with concern and dread.

But she gave little importance of it.

With shock, her attention was captured in the third guy.

Hooded in worn dark gray cloths, dressed in light leather armor of the same color and rusted yellow shin guards, it was completely mechanical and watched her closely with eyes lit in electric blue.

A sense of menace invaded her completely.

She had lived this.

"I told you to stay outside!" Carina shouted in anger.

"You kidding?! Are we going to have this conversation _now_?!" This _being_ sounded offended and even incredulous as it directed its eyes at Carina in front of it, but with major attention to the girl.

This moment felt terribly familiar for her.

Paying attention to every one of the details of this completely mechanical subject terrified her, and at the same time caused her a intense fear at the sight of its vocal module lighting-up when it speaks.

She felt it in her bones. She feel sure she lived this before.

"Shut up, Cayde." Andal, with gravity in his voice, slid to his right side with his heavy gaze fixed on the girl.

That motion altered her even more, a clear signal that she interpreted as hostile.

"BACK OFF!" She growled as she looked back at both them. "STAY FUCKING AWAY FROM ME!"

"Buddy, I wouldn't do that if I were you. She's fierce and doesn't look happy. I don't think it's a good for you to approach her like that. Believe me..."

She observed how, in front of her, this being slowly moved in front of Carina trying to protect her, without losing sight of the frightened girl. Hands up and one step at a time, shortening the distance with great care.

"I thought we were cool, remember? It was dark, we were both alone ... You were in trouble …" It spoke to her in a patient tone.

Wanting to retreat, she stumbled against the table behind her as the terror made her ears ring even more with her own pulse, raising her hand while threatening with the knife, and the fact that this third intruder was addressing her still provoked her more panic.

"Not helping, Cayde. Shut up." Andal urged with annoyance and his jaw locked.

"Look, I'm trying to defuse the situation, but staying at hers 9 o'clock ain't helping either! She doesn't taking it well! We get through this before. We already know each other." It modulated, dragging its foot a little further to make an approach and addressing to her again. "You remind me, I know that. You just... need to cool down and just talk to me. That's all..."

" _Cayde!_ " Andal was growing in little patience.

"She's upset, buddy! Stay where you are! Trust me, she's fiercer than she looks. I can handle her myself!" It said in a sure voice.

With its modulator now more visible and with more detail of its eyes, she discovered that the smallest of her movements was considered.

Then, making a statement that she was serious, she pointed the knife towards Andal, affirming her intentions with just a look, making him understand and managed that he didn't even think about moving forward, or she would kill him. In the same way, when she was aware of another attempt of whatever-she-had-in-front to move forward, she returned the tip of the knife towards it.

"Listen, you couldn't hurt me even if you wanted to, despite of being pure metal. Well- you couldn't really hurt either of us anyway. You're just going to hurt yourself, OK?" It attempts to make one more step toward her, taking care of her body language. "What if you just put the knife down and we just... y'know... _talk_? Wouldya? We may look like the bad guys, but we don't. Maybe we aren't presentable now, but... well … we aren't the kind of people who expect visitors". The humorous voice that she heard minutes ago of this being, now sounded calm and expectant.

She blinked without stop looking for a second at the other guy, never lowering the weapon. Her own breath had deafened her, and her legs were trembled in panic. The familiar feeling of the situation ran down her back with a terrifying cold.

Until, something caught her attention.

A small glow, hardly noticeable by the artificial light of the lamps on the sides of the tent, made her get anxious even more.

Floating behind this _Cayde_ , a small device looked curious about her and the whole situation. Four pointed red and white blades, and a bright light-blue eye saw her with attentiveness.

She exhaled in horror, and her entire expression changed entirely, casting accusing and shocked glances at the three presents. After all, they _were_ a threat.

This subject noticed it surprised, and immediately hid with its right hand the small device behind its back, returning in a second its attention to the girl.

"Oh, crap …" It mumbled, being betrayed for its vocal module.

" _YOU!_ You're one of _them_! _WALKERS_!" She accused screaming, reddened face full of tears and also enraged by the sudden movement on her right. Andal's motion ended up twitching her nerves.

He didn't even had time to accomplish his attempt that, with a quick movement, she wielded the knife in a swift move, making him eluded the blow by jumping backwards in time.

Regardless, she couldn't keep her spot.

As she drew back, two strong arms held her from behind restraining her with the whole body weighing on her thin frame. One arm immobilizing the one she had free, and the other forcing the one in which she had the knife to drop it.

"LET ME GO! GET OFF ME!" She began to scream in panic, kicking and shouting while trying to force herself free shaking back and forth her whole body and putting all her strength on her legs and feet to throw it to the floor and trying to release herself of her aggressor.

"Ngh! Little help-! Please! It doesn't seem- but- she had strength!"

She could hear the mechanical voice of her restrainer and the movement of its cold jaws against her scalp.

In the desperation of escaping, screaming and kicking, painfully realizing that hitting it with her own head back was useless, she saw a blur shadow running against a closet on the other side of the table and the nervous voice of the woman indicating how to use a sedative.

She panicked even more and cried in horror, knowing that they wanted to induce her into sleep.

With more motivation then, she pressed with both legs towards the floor helping herself with all the strength she had on her body, pushing back and forth, looking for something she could use to leverage and knock this being down and get rid of it.

Shaking herself more violently in this guy's mechanical arms, she managed to make contact with a trunk under the operations table, propelling herself into a nearby closet with a brutal but ineffective thud, causing the subject yell at her back followed by an angry swearing and the urgency that the other two act fast. "Use _damn_ sedative! **_NOW_** "

The sudden movement of someone on her left frightened her, even more the feeling of the full weight of this thing reducing her movements, restraining her every move with its whole body upon her and exposing part of her left arm.

She cried in terror while, in seconds, felt the sharp pain of a needle and the cold liquid running down her arm and trying to gain more strength with her legs to get rid of the body of her attacker, only discovering that, little by little, her legs were beginning to numb. She complained, groaning and sobbing in the desperation feeling dizzy and powerless.

"That's it. There you go, girl... Easy… everything's fine..." She heard the murmur from the vocal module of this individual over her right shoulder, still not taking its weight off and holding her tightly with both arms.

"How much 'til does effect?" The voice of that man was heard agitated while it was heard discarding the sedative cartridge in the biohazard.

"It's immediate!" Carina sounded tense, and more and more drowned and far away.

She tried to force herself backwards with her legs again starting to feel she was losing her senses, her throat burned with the effort of screaming, diminishing in intensity until it was just a murmur.

The feel of still being under the pressure of the body of the one who restrained her was less than before, and the weight she felt on her back, shoulders and legs was almost gone.

Her head began to spin, and it was difficult to stay awake, causing her eyelids to weigh, and instantly, a familiar sensation caused her a restlessness while the seconds passed by and the notion of her surroundings started to blur. Her strength finally gave in and her arms loosened, but immediately, she felt the others don't.

She was hiked up and immediately hurried to lay her down on the cot while more and more, the voices of nervousness of those three mingled, sounding distant and muffled.

A sharp pain punctured her head as the woman's fine fingers rushed through her scalp. Someone put the blanket back on her legs and the cold that she felt later, consequence of the injection, began to disappear.

She tried to pry her eyes open once more and the world spun around, beginning to go black again. Carina's worried look studied her condition and the reaction to the sedative in detail, and from behind her, this _Cayde_ , perplexed, peeked out with unease movements to verify exact the same thing.


	3. Chapter 3

Again, the feeling of the rough blankets against her skin started to wake up her, and a subtle mechanic sound that she could detect so closely to her face caught her attention making her comeback to her senses.

She opened her eyes slowly, moving her head to her sides and whining at the stinging pain on the back of her head. Her moves were groggy and even though a sense of familiarity come to her mind like a sudden realization when she brought her hand to her forehead, recognizing the texture of the gauze covering the contour of her head. A slight movement above her followed by shy tiny sound like and elusive question caught again all her attention at once, making her react at the strange device floating over her face, examining her with curiously with its sole light-blue bright eye.

With fear, she startled abruptly on the cot, chasing away the tiny device and realizing at the very moment that she wasn't alone, and she was being watched now not only by one but three spectators.

There was a worried silence as she scanned the place, and the presence of those two aside of the woman unleashed a terrible fear that she hadn't any intention to hide it. Again, she felt cornered.

 _"_ _She is awake!"_ She heard. There was an eager female voice coming out from the device, addressing to its companion with excited movements as it approached to its owner. She recognized it, and all her body shivered with an utter sullied sensation.

"Yeah, Yeah… we've noticed that, lil' bud. Come, come over here…" She heard it say.

This individual named _Cayde_ was sitting on the exact opposite side of the tent and waved at the small floating thing shaking its head with awkwardness.

She didn't lose any special attention on it before returning to look trembling at Carina that was on the other side of the operation table, restless and with both hands on it; her face seemed to reflect hers as she try to fake a light smile on her features, just pretending to hide something that it was obvious; and finally, the man named Andal, motionless and severe, exactly in the same place where he had introduced himself the first time; arms crossed and expressive black eyes surveying her reactions.

As far as she could see, both humans with their faces full of urgency and obvious uneasiness for the past situation, and discomfort on the features of that individual, each time that the bright of its artificial eyes crossed with hers.

She hid again behind the heavy wool blanket whilst scrutinize each of them with deep fear, and silence made it difficult to coexist in the place because of the edgy situation.

Then, taking courage, Carina spoke first.

"I'm so sorry for not having handled the situation with more caution, dear. We… didn't want to fright you." She said, shifting in place and gesturing with both hands an explanation. "You went through a delicate situation, and we thought that the best thing we could do for you was preserve your mental integrity from keeping you out for... surprises." Her voice slid softly in the silence, at the same time, her tired expression drew a painful smile on her lips. The girl's distrust gave her little to none confidence that with those few explanations something wouldn't change, and with reluctance she was force keep explaining. "You suffered a considerable traumatism, and because of that, a memory loss that we don't know if it'll be permanent or is just because of the big trauma you had to deal with. You came here in a terrible state and made a completely mess-"

"What happened?"

The tone of her deep voice vibrated with loud discord in the place. Her eyes were filled with tears, but it made little to prevented her from demanding the harshness of reality.

Carina looked uncertainly at both Andal and that individual, and before she could explain further while clearing her throat, Andal answered for her.

"The settlement you were was attacked." His low voice rumbled in the tent, and the huge expressive black eyes accompanied his severe expression, darkening his features. "Few survived, some died on the way to this place. It was a massacre."

She gasped an exhalation of horror, and tears started to roll down her cheeks. She looked at them pleading further explanation.

"How-?!"

" _Fallen._ " A synthetic voice replied.

That _Cayde_ individual interrupted with almost the same serious tone as that man Andal, standing up and narrowing the distance between Carina and where it had been sitting a few steps behind, placing next to Doctor with crossed arms like if it that would gave it the courage to get into the talking.

Carina only looked at him once, concerned on how the conversation would develop if the topic distressed the girl way more than she could bear; all she could hope from this moment forward was that this whole thing don't end up bringing the poor thing more pain.

"The settlement was very close to their territory, and they took it as a taunt. They huh..." He hesitated, fidgeting again uncomfortably in his place, trying to hold her gaze as he perceived how apprehensive she was at him before averting his sight.

When it raised its eyes again, first looking at Andal and then to her, she could almost sense worry on its expression and in its bright blue eyes before to even address to her again. It was almost the same as the woman did the first time she woke up and assisted her, but at the same time, different. There were worry on them, but also, uneasiness, not for her. _For this_.

"They hunt at night," it finally said with gravity on its voice while trying to keep its composure. "We discovered'em when they were already there."

She felt the cold run all over her body and making her curl deeper into cot, trembling, starting to despair whilst trying to remember those details and collecting her thoughts, all the muscles on her back tensed as the heavy realization smacked her body without any possible answer, because any of what it was been saying make sense to her, even if she made a hard try for get any little hint to certify those words. None of that make sense, and also, nothing was familiar to her.

"I found you in the middle of an abandoned mine with a _Captain_ on your heels," it interrupted again, driving her attention back. "I can tell you're lucky, kid-! I mean- that I got there in time..."

She perceived what it seemed to be the expressions of this individual an effort to treat the situation with some sort of lightness after being aware that the cruelest reality was beginning to cling into her, causing her to despair. And even though its presence was only proving to be more frightful than reassuring, doing the act of speaking to her terrifying, this being seemed to try even harder to keep into the talk. And the more it tried to keep talking to her, the more she felt this uneasiness in every manner it expressed to her.

In the back of her mind then, something told her that this sensation was different as the talk keep going, being perceived then for her as somewhat like forlorn.

"Cayde brought you here unconscious with a terrible wound in your head," Carina then said. "You actually _are_ really lucky. If you had a contusion or if it'd been worse, we wouldn't have been able to do much."

The woman's voice sounded eerie, but the way she doubted to talk about the whole case only caused her more distrust over the events that brought her to that place.

She looked at them again, feeling all the muscles in her face hardened with grief, and finally a rush of fearful anguish burst from her as her eyes filled with tears.

"How did you find me? How bad was I?" She demanded in a tense tone.

There was a silence.

She saw Andal barely turn to look the individual next to Carina, making a statement with just that gesture, and it was read for her with any doubt of its intention: it was that same look with which they had looked at her from the very first moment she woke up, and it was palpable for her that they were still trying to hide something.

The silence turned difficult, and she saw Carina fidget, doing an effort to be subtle about it.

But against all better judgment, at the end, someone talked.

"I found you terrified, in shock, covered from head to toe in mud and blood."

Cayde spoke gravely, surprising those beside him.

He saw the girl paralyzed and stared at him with a sharp but shaken look; he could see though, despite the distance between them, how that turmoil of thoughts and emotions began to be reflected in her gestures, in her features, in how those eyes seemed to tremble while processing information that seemed to be unknown for her, to be unreal. For memories she appeared to not have and the desperation before the need to have them. He knew about that quite well.

Carina, unsettled, was about to open her mouth to reproach him a reckless decision, but before she could tell anything, he hurried ahead.

"I'm not gonna to lie to her." He excused himself, giving her a meaningful look.

Andal just exhaled resignedly while an imaginary weight overcame his shoulders, swallowing and removing the jaw at the sudden situation. Carina finally said nothing and stood like if something was implicit in that reply. She worried about the young woman, distressed in how all this could work from now on with her.

And what it was for the girl, not recalling anything of what had been mentioned, stifled a helpless cry while curl herself, bringing her legs to her body to hide herself away of the world.

The three of them look at each other with disquiet and sadness before the situation, hearing the sobs and cry of the helpless girl filling the place. Then Andal, trying to help her out slid a comment with a serious but sad tone.

"Do you remember your name?"

"No...!" She was broken, hiding her face between the hollow of her knees and arms, and her trembling voice was muffled and mingled with sobs.

There was another silence as she heard the woman's footsteps approaching towards the cot, sitting slowly next to her and making her just startle a little and slightly look up her, still distrustful as the woman only returned a sad expression to her. She let her touch her arm, and her small hand slid a subtle squeeze in solace.

"Parents? Siblings?" Insisted the man.

"I don't remember A THING!" She roared finally in anguish, interrupting him and raising her flushed face with tears running down her cheeks and shaking her wavy large brown hair from the sudden reaction of exasperation.

 _"_ _What about her scars?"_ it was heard unexpectedly.

Another mechanical voice made an appearance, female and more solemn than that individual voice or its little companion, and with more urgency and eloquence in its manners. She noticed another device in deep blue and black colors appearing with a fast beam of light above Andal's head, floating and moving its mechanical blades while articulating and looking at who seemed to be its owner with inquiry. It advanced with probing movements towards the girl, who disturbed by this new intrusion and the reveal of Andal's true nature too, became more impatient.

" _Maybe they can reveal details of her identity_." It suggested at the end.

"It won't!" Cayde interrupted as both his companions stared at him with perplexity. His response was so tacit that it surprised them, even himself. "I mean- well- maybe it's not a good time, doesn't it?" He instantly resisted, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe she does really need to rest to think about all of this, and we just making her feel even worse if we keep push it. I'm just- I'm just sayin'."

Carina contemplated this, turning her gaze to the girl who still felt the threat of both subjects in that place, even more with the appearance of their companions. It was a relief that that suggestion put the end to the conversation for once and she was grateful, at last, for that act of good sense by the man who was about to shout in anger moments ago for his hotheaded reaction.

She looked at him again for a few seconds and could notice his very well-hidden concern about why keep talking would be an awful mistake. She understood then _why_.

"That's true," Carina finally said with a thoughtful voice, turning her attention to the girl again. "She needs to rest." She added giving her a patient loving gesture and rousing up to leave.

The tension was beginning to fade away while, still with tears in her eyes, she noticed that the three of them attempted to leave the place with slow deliberation, absorbed in their thoughts and ready to leave her alone to rest. She looked at them, and a sudden instinctive sensation made her stomach turn with a full awareness of how vulnerable she feel and how abandoned she was.

From a second to another, the tent became huge, and every corner of it, a hole where something terrible could appear and murder her.

"Wait!" She cried.

The three turned around halfway, surprised.

She straightened on the cot anxiously and her voice was an anguished plea. "I don't want to be alone! Please, can someone stay with me!"

They looked at each other, confused, and then, surprising everyone on the room, one of the small mechanical beings came out floating cautiously towards the girl.

She recognized it immediately: red and white with some golden ornaments; It had been above her head when she woke up, curious and intrigued of her.

Distrustful, she leaned back without losing sight of this little one, observing the other three with fright.

The device turned to its owner in an inquiring tone, who, astonished, gave an alarming look to those who accompanied him.

"Oh no. No, no. No, **_No!_** _No-way!_ She can't stay! **_I_** _can't stay!_ " Cayde reacted in bafflement.

Carina exhaled uneasily and turned to Andal with the same perplexed expression, and then, finally, raising her thin eyebrows, force a grimace on her face. "I'll be back in an hour, I must check the supplies and the rest of the injured." She said to both men, taking courage and looking one last time at the confused girl with a gentle smile before left.

The two of them watched her go, and then exchanged perplexed looks. Andal began to shift thoughtful in his place and Cayde gestured with his finger as an ultimatum with a tense voice.

"Andal. _Don't_ -"

"Sorry, pal! You seem the most capable to do this and, for the record, you were the one who brought her here so... Be right back!"

With lightness, and a sort of complicity, Andal sketched a quick smile. His eyes sparkling and a reaffirming pat on Cayde's left arm and a wink, he left him walking away at a quick pace.

He stood for brief seconds, and even stepped out to verify, in disbelieve, that in a second both Andal and Carina had vanished, disguised in the movement of the outside. He dropped his arms in a resigned tone mumbling annoyed something to himself, and with some trepidation, dared to return his attention to the girl.

Motionless, the only movement that was visible was her breathing that made it clear that maybe it wasn't how she expected the events to unfold. She was nervous and alert to the most inappropriate of his movements. _Fierce and cornered_ , he realized, it isn't the best combination for someone who doesn't hesitate with a scalpel.

His little companion turned to him moving all her blades with eagerness, and then turned to the girl, always keeping certain distance to not fright her.

Cayde shook his head in total disapproval, looking at his ghost and then rambling several times in his place while still mumbling, hands on his waist and head bowed in defeat. "Why are you like this? I mean, you have any consideration of your well-being, or just enjoy make me feel nervous of being killed?" He reproached her in a whisper.

On her knees on the cot, she didn't look away from both, not even feeling the mechanical action of her own eyelids as she verify every bit of space they handled, expecting this individual it didn't dare to approach by any means to her. But when the small device took the initiative to float a little more towards her with curious, hesitating and always aware of the tiniest of her reactions, she barely threw her body back starting to fright. Her attention, as a few moments ago, came and went between the two figures, with special attention to _that… guy_.

When it started walking, she completely forgot the small figure floating above the steel table. She watched as she heard its boots against to the floor, until it reached the stool where Andal had been sitting minutes ago.

She hesitated, making herself backwards with her face tense and her gaze fixed on it.

"I'm going to sit _here_. Just… sit here and try to not even disturb you, and that's all. OK?" He said with indulgence as he slowly finished to sit down. The elbows on the knees and a distracted look, trying to avoid eye contact with her. He looked at every corner to relieve tension, knowing very well that those sharp eyes won't miss anything.

When he finally dared to look up trying to hold her gaze, he discovered that she had her all attention fixed on his figure. She was motionless, and he could notice that every muscle in her lean body was tense. He shifted in his sit, debating whether if speak could work, or made everything even worse.

"So huh, how 'bout a little nap? I know could be kind of difficult considering there's a lotta things you need to think 'bout, but... nothing that a good nap can't fix-! I mean, not _exactly_ as it was before; perhaps, without the need of sedatives, as much as possible-" He shut his mouth, being aware of what he just said, vocal module blinking, betraying that he muttered angrily something to himself. "Forget that. It wasn't a good thing to say." He added with some awkwardness. His way of managing this, casual and carefree, didn't seem to have the effect that he expected to have. The girl was still there, tense and wary.

He lowered again his gaze, and nervously played with his gloves, adjusting them from the wrists, trying to distract himself. This wasn't going to work while she was still feeling menaced of his presence, even more if he treated her like a broken thing or like a helpless child. He needed to be a reassurance, he needed to try harder, earn her trust. He needed prove her wrong.

When he looked up again, this time he didn't hesitated. "Look, it's clear to me that you don't remember any of it, but I told you this before: it's not nice to stare at people like that."

She blinked, frowning slightly. She could see the glare of those eyes looking at her, but also, a sense of defiance on them, feeling though, ridiculous at the thought that there was even certain indignation in the mechanical face of this hooded guy in worn dark-gray cape.

They spent a few seconds in silence, just looking at each other, studying the mere presence of the other.

And then, to his surprise, he heard a disguised sigh escaping from the girl, and he could even perceive that her body relaxed a bit, at least.

Carefully, he straightened on the bench averting his eyes to the floor to break tension as he searched for the right words while leaving his arms laze in his lap. And he thought that maybe this was finally working.

"So, uhmm ... How's your head? Still hurts?" Curious and insecure, he made a gesture with his hand, waving at her and then gesturing on the back of his own head. "You hit me like _really_ hard! If I'd been flesh and bones, I'd have had my beautiful face with a broken nose."

It surprised him first, but he would've sworn see her remove her lips doing an effort to not to give in a smile.

He took that as a victory, and shifted again in the stool, _anxious_. He resumed the conversation trying to keep the same attitude.

"Yeah, I have a face! And just for you to know that, behind all this metal lies a beautiful face. You're ruthless, girl! I can give you that. You don't hesitate. You have guts to-!"

"What are you?" She asked abruptly. Her deep voice sounding tense. The remnants of her distress, even there, latent.

Cayde faltered. He leaned back with surprise, and then shook his shoulders with his eyes down before looking back at her again. He knew this could eventually came up.

"I'm an EXO. A sort of… 'machine' as far as you can see, but it's way more complicated than that, and… long to explain. It could be sum up that I am ' _like'_ a machine, but, in fact, I'm human…" His gestures sought the easiest way to respond, and his voice seemed hesitant at moments.

"What _are_ you, exactly?"

He was now uncertain. The hard expression on the girl's face in which gravity and fear mixed, waiting for an answer to know how to react at the next thing he could said, didn't gave him the assurance that this was going in the way that he was expecting to unfold. There was another _thing_ that was being judged in this conversation, apart from his looks. What it really scared her.

He shrugged, shaking his hooded head and then looked up at her, deference in his voice module as he answered her inquiry.

"People call us _Risen_. One day we were dead, and the other, we don't. We don't remember anything of our previous life," He turned his attention to the small device, exchanging attention to him and to her with all the attention in their interacting. "They found us: The _Ghosts_. We can hear them before the Light reach us out, and then, in a moment... _Here we are."_ He resumed gesturing with his arms trying not to lose the light tone of the conversation.

"They... _find you_?" She questioned, suspicious.

"They _choose us"_ He marked.

She noted the module of its voice affirm with the same bright intensity as its tone seek to claim, serious and firm.

Something in the way she was talking dislodged him. And the second genuine reaction he achieved, to his dismay, was a scorn.

"As if was an honor..." The poison in her voice made him uneasy, leaving him tense in that stool, "and a right, to believe themselves worthy of being above everything or everyone."

" _What-?"_

"I've heard stories about creatures like you, and unfortunately, I do remember that! Your kind enslave people or kill them at the slightest resistance! They don't even think it twice! Your kind just want power over those are powerless!" She accused, trembling in rage.

"Wait! What are you talking about-?!" The indignation became noticeable while he was gesturing in bewilderment.

"You know what I'm talking about! You are like _those_!" She raised her strong voice, her almond-shaped eyes watery and irritated, hidden behind his furious brows.

"Sweetheart, you have no idea what you're saying..."

"Of course I am! You're lying!"

"OK, so first of all, you're _not_ being nice!" He stood up abruptly making the stool squeak, offended and with both hands in an exasperated gesture that made the girl, once again, startle scared in an intent to escape, one foot out of bed and all her body language prepared to make her way fighting in any way possible. He regretted his impulsive reaction first, but then he realized that he could not let this pass. Like he said to himself before: he needed to prove her wrong. "Second! I thought you were the one who needed someone to stay here just because _you were scared!"_ He changed the tone of his voice, between seriousness, indignation and childishness as if it request was a joke, but to trying to make a point.

Then, hesitating a few moments before continuing, he waved an accusing finger at her. "And third …! I can see you've cold… so huh, because of your poor health condition, go back to bed now, stop behaving like a brat -because you are _not_ -, close your eyes, and fall asleep, _missy_!"

Puzzled and upset, she didn't understand what it was talking, and restless, she blinked nervous while trying to read its reactions.

"I mean, seriously... cover yourself. It's… uncomfortable to keep talking like this." He finally said embarrassed and gesturing lightly at her, hesitating to keep looking.

When she ended up noticing this at the cold feel of her exposed legs, immediately her whole face burned with the heat of shame becoming aware of how exposed she was. She hid quickly and nervous under the safety of the blankets, first embarrassed and then returning an angry expression at this guy, not knowing what to yell about to it.

He looked once fidgeting in place before to sit again, doubting in how could possibly fix this misinterpretation as he lowered his head understanding that this situation and what he said about it was humiliating for her. And finally, hesitating again, he took courage to look up again just to find that she was on the cot again, under the blanket and piercing him with eyes full of absolute contempt, and the feeling that, _again_ , he had to win back that bit of trust he had achieved a few but distant minutes ago.

"Look, I didn't mean to scare you or… make you feel ashamed, but honestly… lemme tell you: you're wrong. I'm _not_ like that, Andal is not like that." He assured recovering the same significance of moments ago. "Just think about that for one sec. If it was really as you think it is, you wouldn't be here. Simple as that."

She watched it, still with the indignant blush of humiliation. The furious expression didn't leave her face and she could feel her own frown hurting. "And how do you explain those stories? Everyone lies then?" She inferred exasperated, holding the blanket to her chest with iron grip.

Cayde shrugged thinking his next words but finding only the truth to say. "You're alive, and that's all that matters, isn't it…?" It's all that he answered.

And after that, something changed, and he noticed it.

She wavered, so clearly in her posture, that even he noticed it in her face. That ferocity that she expressed so openly in all her demeanor as her only defense, wobbled in front of him like a wave on the water. And since he had found her, for the first time, he saw her features soften, enough to be subtle, but notorious.

Cayde straightened up slightly on his seat at the sight of her reactions and watched her for a few seconds in contemplation. Inwardly he remembered those times, _several times_ , that some of his fellow comrades reproached him that sometimes, the less the better.

Even though, he waited for some contemptuous reaction as an answer, but then, surprised, he observed how without saying a word, still with some distrust, she lay down slowly on the cot but with the visual cleared to observe any unexpected movement from him.

She stayed there, staring. One arm under the precarious pillow to be more comfortable, and the other firmly holding the blanket to her chest. Huddled, but with the possibility of observing it, she remained still.

He barely moved on the stool, trying to remain silent and _very_ careful about his movements, hands on his knees, tapping with his fingers as he tried to return to a normal conversation.

"So huh, I'll just stay here now, if you're OK with that. You can close your eyes and try to get some sleep."

She ignored its comments and keep looking at it in silence.

"I promise I don't make a sound. So… sleep, sleep tight!" He gestured with both hands in a joyful mood.

"They said I needed to rest, not sleep." Her tone was indolent and emotionless as she continued to watch it carefully.

Cayde inclined his head and loosened his shoulders in defeat, lighting up his module like sighing in resignation.

"You gained my admiration for being a tough woman, and for that shot with nothing but a stone, which by the way, you don't remember a thing, but... seriously? You're a difficult girl..."

From the tone of its voice, she could see that the way the situation had been developing was equally uncomfortable for this guy as it was for her. But also, she realized that, except for a few sad exchanges, the way this was finally going, was turning to be surprisingly amusing for her. Also, she could tell, that that sensation she had been feeling moments ago, now it was almost gone.

Although, she found it curious, and the peculiarities of this _guy_ didn't cease to cause her some doubts about to trust it or not, or what was it. Or... if it even was an _it_?

She let pass a moment and watched it stretch its legs hiding both hands between its thighs, carefree and swaying playfully while it was looking around, not paying attention to her, or at least, pretending not to. Singing in hushing tone and making lit up the voice module with the vibration of its voice. She knew it was trying to relieve the tension.

So she remained just watching, until, again, its eyes lit in a vibrant blue turned towards her.

"I'm that bad, huh. Isn't singing my thing? Well! I'm not sorry about it" He teased.

After that, he was now sure that the corner of her lips sketched something like a grim.

He didn't speak before that, understanding that as his cue for just let things flow, looking back at the floor later and tapping a part of his sole against the floor.

A quiet approval came later, and both remained in silence just familiarizing with the presence of the other.

And then, a subtle movement drew both their attention.

His ghost floated again with curiosity towards the girl, causing not only concern in her but also distressing his owner too who, before could object what she was doing, he stayed in his place, observing that the tiny device did nothing but start a projection.

"What you're doing-!"

"I'm doing nothing-!"

She shifted uneasily against the cot trying to sit up, first distressed and then confused.

Peaceful images float surrounding her, like she was in a deep forest with old but vivid trees and cheerful sounds swarming among them in the highs.

The sound of the projection filled the tent, and there was a clear sound of water running like if they were there. But in the middle of those sounds, it was a distinctive one among the rest that it was been heard with a clarity that called her attention; a nervous short cheep that was shy but strong, and its little owner was on the edge of what it seems to be a stream, stranding with anxious pace while looking the surroundings. Small, nervous and with earthy plumage, it wandered lightly among the dry reed.

 _"_ _Cettia cetti, or commonly called, Cettia's Warbler, is a species of passerine family type of the cettiidae family of Europe, southwestern Asia and northern Africa. During the Golden Age, they were a kind of bird of minor concern. But, due to the events after the Collapse, there are no records of sight-seeings in the area. The place is now unbearable and dangerous for life in general."_ The shy digital female voice of the small device sounded gloomy at the end while approached the girl. " _It was small and easy to identify. Its song was powerful, noisy, very characteristic and often insistent, so it was easy to recognize it; Elusive and subtle, it lived among the vegetation, and it emitted a strong distinctive sound when it felt threatened, usually, most of the time."_

She returned a scathing look to its owner, who did nothing but shake its head and rub its hand embarrassed all over its face.

"You're not helping, buddy..." Cayde muttered resignedly on his stool.

 _"_ _I was hoping that showing something like this it would help her to reconcile her sleep."_ , Ghost said to him before continuing to explain to the girl. " _This one is one of the few records we found about wildlife during the Golden Age as we prowled the area seeking survivors,"_ The little artifact explained now looking them both, " _and I find its reactions very similar to those she had with you, Cayde."_

"Oh, boy... things like this makes wonder why it was you who rezzed me…" He muttered under his breath, resigned and looking embarrassed to all sides.

She completely ignored it, and still distrustful, incredulous of herself for what she was watching, directed her attention to the little artifact. "What is this?" She asked curious.

 _"_ _Western Europe. Now is a dead zone, plagued by terrible creatures: The Fallen."_

She felt fear after hearing that, and only directed her attention to the owner of the device once, only to discover it looking at her before averting its eyes towards the projection with uneasiness.

She ignored it again, anxiously shrugging her shoulders then turning back to its ghost. "Is it far from here?"

 _"_ _Not enough, but the necessary to avoid a tragic result_." Ghost replied.

"You mean _die_ …" She corrected as a matter of fact as she bent her legs and embraced them with her arms, watching the details of the projection that surrounded her while paying attention to the sounds.

 _"_ _We cannot die,"_ Ghost marked. " _But you could..."_

She became restless, nervous, and looked down after what the ghost said, trying to avoid thinking about the odds.

"Right…" She muttered with bitterness. ' _As if he cared…'_ , she struggled in her thoughts as mixed feelings made her feel again this desperation to know _exactly_ what really happened to her, and if she was really safe now.

If there are anyone out there looking for her. Or who she was...

Cayde reclined forward as if was seeking her attention, barely moving on his stool. Then, turned to Ghost, gesturing to finish the tone of the conversation before all he had achieved with this _prove-her-wrong_ thing was wasted. The ghost faltered when it cut the projection, calling the girl's attention and then debating herself between take care of her and her owner petition; her small blades spinning from side to side, doubting.

The absence of any topic to talk about and the uneasiness of her unknown origins was starting to make her be distressed. And to avoid resuming an awkward dialogue about that with the guy, finally, she broke the silence.

"What else can you tell me about before?" She asked with shyness.

Cayde startled and exchanged glances with Ghost.

"How was the world like before… _all_ this? There were more of... _those..._?"

"Birds..." He answered, making her look at him with apprehensive but timid eyes. "We call'em _birds_. There're still some, but not so many."

She hesitated for a few seconds at this guy still addressing her, but at the end, allowed herself to relax before looked at the ghost again, letting her arms loose on her covered knees whilst looking at them expectantly with her chin on her forearms.

After a brief pause, the small device tentatively approached her again with more confidence now, wavering her small parts with enthusiasm at the sight of her reactions to be quieter.

 _"What do you want to know about it?"_ Ghost keenly asked.

"Warblers", She replied, trying to hide the eagerness in her voice before a brief glance towards the device's owner. "Birds …" Then she corrected herself in a shy mumbling, returning her attention back to the little being.

Cayde watched her in silence with a bit of content after hearing her said that last thing, noticing that she finally seemed more at ease when his ghost began to project a series of images and sounds about that species.

He thought for a minute though, if he were still flesh and bones, his body would be hurting for remain so long immobile sitting on that bench.

So, he stayed there, giving glances from time to time to his little companion and the girl, and glancing more at her that he should as the minutes passed, and Ghost's explanation continued, perceiving that, at last, his presence seemed to be finally unnoticed and harmless to her.


	4. Chapter 4

_She was running, listening to explosions around her._

 _All she could see around was chaos, something incomprehensible._

 _There were mostly screams and the silhouette of people running by, escaping of an unmistakable danger._

 _There was fire and smoke, and dust and debris._

 _The image changed._

 _She was in a small space. Somewhere dark, a wretched place._

 _The light barely leaked through a few gaps._

 _She listened to the muffled noise of men behind a door, and the sound of her own heavy breathing and panicked heartbeat crushing at her chest. There were laughers and angry swearing, but some of those grotesque horrible laughs that can easily pass for the growl of a dangerous rabid predatory animal._

 _She was immobilized._

 _The sound of the chains that held her echoed in the precarious room, and the clatter of heavy footsteps approaching behind the entrance made her pulse quicken and her own voice being distorted by anguish pleas, begging for mercy._

 _The door suddenly went opened with a bang._

 _The figure of a man pounced over her pinning her down and she began to scream._

 _That man cursed and struggled, his guttural and repulsive voice that barely seemed to modulate understandable words had disdain for her existence._

 _She could hear her heart hammering in her chest. All her body being restrained and bruised._

 _She wanted to escape._

 _She wanted to die._

 _Again, another image._

 _Fire and blood, and the ice-cold shriek of something that wasn't human echoing all around and a lot of panicked screams._

 _She could feel herself terrified and running like hell._

 _The darkness began to envelop her as she ran. Scared to death, throbbing it like if it was happened. Like a vivid dream._

 _The horrendous howl of something was chasing her._

 _There was no escape._

 _She was sure she was going to die._

 _And then, gunshots._

 _Gunfire and a beam of light._

 _Her screams and the dance of light and shadow laid before her._

 _From behind, a desperate call warning her later._

 _The light blinded her. Someone spoke in a calmed but tense voice and she could hardly distinguish what that someone was saying. It was trying to take her... save her? But she felt fear..._

 _"...Are we cool?"_

 _It's was all she understood._

 _Again, she felt herself running. And then, the sensation of smelling blood._

 _A warning call, and nothing more._

 _An explosion._

* * *

She awoke terrified in her place.

She was still in the tent, on the cot, sitting and curled up watching to all sides with a total sense of dread. There was something raging in the background, constant but noisy enough to fright her, different from anything she could possibly ever listened, like a thousand of furious blast.

"Hey… You okay?"

She startled then, turning to that voice abruptly with eyes wide open.

That guy was still there, sitting on the bench and somehow puzzled by her sudden reaction, leaning slightly with curiosity and a bit of concern.

She didn't gave it more attention that she wanted, she was trying to understand what was happening out there. What was that crashing dreadful noise! She wanted it to disappear!

"You fell asleep and you didn't even notice."

That thing's voice called to her again, and she looked at it again only giving to it her anxious look at the same time she was trying to comprehend what the hell was going on. Its little companion, its _ghost_ , loomed near to her with more confidence than before and moving its front blades in an interrogative gesture. Even so, she barely noticed it.

Suddenly, again, another explosion, a big one. She screamed terrified while that clamor was scattering all over the huge shelter as if it was flying above them, rumbling on the walls like it was going to tear them down. She pushed both hands against her ears and snuggled against her legs again, squeezing her eyelids and feeling her heart explode in her chest.

"WOW! Girl! _Simmer down!_ Are you really _that_ afraid of storms? Seriously?"

Its voice sounded incredulous, and the immediate thing she heard after that was this guy standing up of the bench and walking to her.

She raised her eyes alarmed, and this individual froze in place instantly at that response, not moving at all in a gesture of whole understanding about that simple warning. "Alright! I get it! Storms scares you and you respect your personal space. There's no need to look at me like that! Fine by me!"

She couldn't be aware of her own expressions, but perhaps, could imagine how scared and upset she looked like noticing that the small device floated backwards with slowness and caution while she seemed to be able to read those same reactions on its owner's. Just a few steps It had walked to her, enough to reach the middle of the cot, showing again any intentions of hostility and studying her every move to prevent to scare her more.

Until she felt certain that it wouldn't be another blasting sound threatening to crush all the place down and still hugging her legs, she tried to comprehend what that deafening noise was constantly hitting the shed.

"What's that?!" She yelled trembling with panic.

"huh... _Rain_...?" It said in a skeptical tone as it shrugged.

There was another menacing explosion in the distance, giving the impression that it would blast on the roof with the force of a landslide. She stifled a cry before hiding her face again between her arms and knees, wanting desperately to this to stop.

Then, she wasn't sure if it was that dreadful noise making her hear things or what, but she maybe though it was possible that she'd hear something like a chuckling slipping through the noise in the background.

 _"_ _Apparently, 'She' is not familiar with these atmospheric phenomena, the storms,"_ The shy voice of Ghost could barely get distinguish while it was approaching her again with carefulness. " _Maybe if I could give her a brief explanation about it, it is possible she'd lose her fear of it..."_

"Nah, nah, don't do that! It's almost cute to see her like this! So cliché..." Its voice was cheerful while hiding it was giggling.

She was outraged when realized this, feeling fire rose from her stomach as she furiously raised her gaze to look at it straight into the eye and yell to it, but only to discover that this had a tentative effort to approach her again.

"What you're laughing about?!" She blurted out, only causing a less dissimulated guffaw from the guy.

"HAHA! Sorry! Don't get mad! I can see you're scared, but you should see your expression right now!" It was looking her while still laughing, making her feel more upset. "Seriously though, you look like a stranded puppy!" Its vocal module lighted up while shaking its head in cheerful disbelieve without even being concerned about the enraged gaze of the girl.

With that premise, and without even paying attention to any of her implicit warnings, he walked to her, trespassing her personal space without even looking at her, surrounding the surgical table and passing by her side to walk towards one of the opposite corners of the work table next to the cot.

She leaned to her left annoyed and distressed as it passed by, trying to turn her full body towards it in alarm. When it saw reached the other side of the working table, she heard it mutter to Itself, looking this guy's hood move from behind while searching for something among the cornered bottles. "Aha! Found it!"

She hadn't time to react after that.

When it turned towards her, perturbed as it approached her shortening the distance in few strides, she was about to yell to it and punch it right on its face to defend herself and make a statement about not ever dare to cross the line again.

Eyes wide open and fear written all over her face at the feeling of disadvantage first, and then, to her surprise, just saw it crouch right beside the cot at nothing more than a few centimeters from each other.

Even if she was utterly alarmed like the very beginning, _now_ , she could observe every detail and each one of the aspects of this 'non-human being', bringing her a sort of relief but still confusing her.

Despite its vocal module, it had a mouth; upper and lower jaw. Its mechanical features simulated facial expressions so fairly that she was surprised to understand that in that moment was expressing some sort of empathy for her; most of its face was blue, except for its forehead that was white; its eyes shone in bright blue light, in which she understood its morphology as the same as any human being, same as it was for Carina, or that other man Andal, or herself, and for some reason, she was starting to felt draw to them, seeing through their glowing a fair expression of liveliness, becoming aware that the more she saw into them, the more she understood they expressed intent for her.

So she stood still, watchful. As well as... _he_...

The hood and the cape added an appearance that made him look like a human or had the purpose to tried to hide part of his true features, almost as if he was trying to hide what he is from others. Although, it was impossible not see his horn on his forehead that jutted out just from underneath the piece of wore cloth that covered all his head; to the naked eye though, the piece of fabric that served as a cloak and fell over his shoulders looked heavy but ruined by time, and the dark color that it had been in previous years looked dull and wasted in spite of be useful and durable. It seemed that he tried to hide what he was or how he looked like from the suspicious eyes, but either way, how he looked like entirely, made that impossible. She understood now for that simple reason, that maybe, that restlessness that swarmed into the ambience the first time he spoke to her was his effort to hide himself away.

She started to sympathize with him, looking at the piece of cloth in which he covered himself mingled with his dusty dark-gray leather attire in a different way. The scent of earth and gunpowder was all around him, and at that sensation, an odd calmness bring her a sort of asylum among the uncertainty.

He didn't seem a threat like this; surely, she thought, because of the way he was introducing himself again to her, crouched down without any intention that no one but her manage the situation between them from now on. And looking down at him like this though, he wasn't seemed that huge and terrifying as she perceived the first time they accidentally met. He was medium size, muscular but light, and almost tall as her.

Resting his forearms on his lap, he was holding something, and without hesitation he handed her a canteen, making her lean slightly herself back, wary.

"Don't stare…" He joked in a soft low tone and accentuating his gaze while looking at her carefully.

She could see him now.

He expressed emotions. His features let her know he meant every way in which he talked to her, lighting up the inner of the hood when the bright intensity of his voice rumbled between them.

She dithered but didn't look away from him. Even though she couldn't control the adrenaline at the feel of sense her personal space invaded, and her right hand hesitated before taking the container that he had explicitly searched for her, she didn't look away, and so was he.

When she held it, she felt its weight confirming that it had liquid inside.

He rested his forearm again on his lap, still crouching and studying every single one of her features of her face.

A slight scar appeared from the line of the scalp and disappeared behind the bandage on the left side of her forehead; it was not the wound for what he brought her with him, but an old one, older as well as the others he knew she had, like those on her arms, legs and the back of her hands. There was a small one over her nose, only distinguishable this close to her, causing him unease the moment he noticed it. Something sharp made it, or maybe a was hit; he couldn't know. Better never know that.

He looked her eyes, certifying that they weren't dark but darker gray with tiny specks of brown in her irises; sharp eyes for a fierceness gal, it really suited her. Like if they were made to just aim at the mere sight and blaze anybody with them, just like she tried to do with him the night he had found her, that night when he saved her. The night she didn't remember... Her eyelashes seemed to delineate the shape of them, barely curling at their edges with a distinctive contrast that made her suntanned small cheeks highlighted their dauntlessness, making them look brighter and more expressive every time she blinked and looked at him trying to figure out what he was thinking.

As if he could ever know now…

Then, he returned to her lips, dry by dehydration but full…

And he snapped out, making a slight gesture to encourage her to drink.

"Trust me, it's just water," He said trying to sound casual and keeping a personal tone. "You need to rehydrate."

His voice wasn't that one that seemed irreverent and even squeaky now. It sounded somehow softer when he talked to her. Maybe because of the closeness, maybe because she _was wrong_.

"You're staring…" She marked making him noticed it. Her voice deep and tense like a murmur.

He seemed to smile, the module emulated something subtle like a chuckle when he reciprocally looked at her more thoroughly.

"I'm returning the favor." He justified as a practical joke before rose up without further explanation and walk away.

She barely startled by the sudden movement and watched him go to one of the cabinets near the entrance to the tent and search for something while Ghost stayed with her a few steps away.

That much she seemed to have been absorbed observing him in his every detail that she had completely forgot what was terrorizing her some minutes ago and was still lashing out over the huge shed of steel over their heads.

So she gave a hesitant look at him that it was still searching inside the cabinets minding his own business, then looking at the canteen and opening it in a quick movement, sniffing suspiciously first with a tentative sip afterwards, confirming it was water, and then began to swallow greedily not giving herself time to regain her breathe at the needy sensation to satiate her thirst; the cold liquid dripped from the corners of her mouth while she drank desperate, and then stopping abruptly with a hacking cough when her body force her to take a minute to breath.

"Wow, wow, easy! You're going to choke!" She heard him come back quickly on his tracks with something under his left arm and the intention to reach her with his right hand.

It stressed her to see him suddenly approached her again, invading one more time her personal space while she could feel the continuous coughing making her throat burst and not letting her breathe well enough.

"I know you don't wanna me near, but just- Lemme try something to help you out with that cough, yeah? Promise I won't do anything stupid..." He asked with kind of urgency.

She surveyed again his movements under an apprehensive gaze, following carefully the motion of his arm whilst trying futilely keep her eyes open, and in just a moment and letting him get close enough to reach her, she felt his hand stroking her back gently, making the unpleasant sensation on her throat eventually disappear.

When the soreness in her throat was less awful, his hand continued to stroke her back in relief.

She shrugged and give none resistance as she watched he slowly crouched back again close to her and keep stroking her back with careful moves as he looked at her expecting that she may tell him that it was enough. But she didn't do that. She just let him.

With eyes still red and somewhat tearful for coughing, and when she managed to feel better, she looked at him again with some hesitancy, dumbfounded at the simple caress been enough to calm her, making her shiver.

"See...? Better!" He said softly in a cheerful tone, and she'd perceive something like a smile on him as she watched him to stand up again and extend something to her.

"Doc told me she had some clothes somewhere around here, so... all yours!" He added, insisting with a light gesture.

She looked at him puzzled and then reach the clothes giving subtle and wary glances to him, expecting any reaction that mean she couldn't have them, but al last, realizing there was none. Her fingertips brushed the fabric of those clothing, somewhat rustic and thick to the touch in the moment she put her hands on it, and when she finally had them, felt the slightest of the motions of his hands letting her have the cloths with the sole intention to just give them to her freely.

"While you were sleeping, she came back just to check how's everything going, but didn't you even notice. You must've been pretty tired, don't you!" He stood next to her, watching his gestures as he explained and have her attentive gaze on him. "See? You needed to sleep after all..." He added with cheerful expression and teasing her with his hands on his waist.

She gave him a look, arching an eyebrow in puzzlement before he turned his back at her and chuckled softly as he reciprocated with fleeting glances the tension between them while walking to the door followed closely by Ghost. Before leaving, he turned to her like he was recalled something important.

"If you hurry up, I can show you where the water you drank came from, so... don't be shy and look for me when you're done. I'll be outside." He excused himself hesitating with already a foot outside the tent.

She could listen his footsteps walking away first, and almost immediately, hear him going back and poke his head again inside the tent, confusing her. "Oh! And huh... I almost forgot it! The boots are at the end of the cot, right underneath: put them on. You will need them" There was a brief silence between them. She didn't say anything. "OK- Right- so...I huh... I'll let you dress."

And then, he disappeared.

She waited a moment to be sure that effectively he had left, and from time to time, listen what was still going on outside with that frightful noise — _a storm_ , as Ghost had called it—; each blast that extended through the roof's shelter, made her feel the heaviness of being finally alone, starting to feel nervous.

She returned her attention to the clothes in her lap, examining again the fabric that, despite its rusticity, was something comfortable and soft; _warm_ was the sensation she had, like if it was the first time she ever touched something like that. At that feeling, she gave a hint of a smile. 

Cayde walked away with a carefree pace and giving a few glances back to the tent just to be sure that all the effort he had made hadn't been useless and she just decided to make her own way out of there. After all, isn't his task take care of her? So...

He looked back at his path, passing by some other fellas of the company and waving at them in a goofy mood just like someone who know somebody for ages; _The Crew_ , as they call themselves as a matter of self-recognition or sense of belonging; all wearing military clothes and cargo, prepared to have a tough live in The Wilds in which survival was essential.

Some of them were wearing raincoats and hoods after coming back from a reconnaissance from the outside at the end of their shift for this day, taking shelter from the storm that was still raging in the whole area. The sun was about to set on the horizon within an hour or less, and this weather would accelerate the dusk for sure.

Almost 50 persons between women and men, including Carina, Andal and himself had been travelling through the wasteland before reach this place. There weren´t many now, but they were not so long ago...

5 years had passed since Andal Brask found him and their journey began.

He remembered it as if it had been yesterday when he was first rezzed, that day in which he learnt about what happened to the world; the day he decided to start walking and escape the dangers of The Wilds and try to find someone who was still alive.

The day Andal found him, disoriented and walking through a landscape of desert plains without any single weapon to defend himself with and a bag hanging on his shoulder. He remembered that day as his first day alive, and not alone.

Since then, they walked together. Escaping from the slaughter of the Fallen and the edges of the menacing shadows. Fighting, running, hiding just to avoid conflicts or don't attract any unwelcoming attention. _Surviving_ , like anyone they found in the road…

Dr. Carina Bright was one of the few people he met long after that.

She is, with some of The Crew, one of the few survivors of the tragic siege executed by the dreadful House of Devils at the border of the continental north-coast in the always turbulent contested zone, and known with the unforgettable title as _The Fall of Antigua_ ; a city that was one of the most large and crowded settlements that existed in that region, at least, for 50 years.

But now it was History, and its fall, _a tragedy_.

He also remembers that as if it had been yesterday.

Ominous towers of smoke and the thunderous blast of explosions in the distance emerging from the horizon like an in coming storm that would obliterate the whole city in an instant, and legions of Devils, crowded against the destroyed walls, wiping out anything they had in their path with the ruthless virulence of Death.

He does remember that. As well as the screams...

They both him and Andal fought in the very end of the siege, when they achieved to reach the city through a thousand of Devils, fighting with all their might to try to save whoever it was still alive.

Both never forgot what they saw and what happened there. Death and ruin, and innocent people being slaughtered in cold blood.

Since that time, they've had been roaming along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and wandering through The Desert sometime after that, searching for safe haven while looking for a place to call home, seeking the embrace of safety to escape from the deathly grasp of the Fallen.

Since that moment, the exodus began to decrease in number, and within the passing days, Death was finally haunting them.

They drew a path towards an unknown destination, to an uncertain present, and an eerie forthcoming.

But even though, _they endured_.

With some painful losses on the run when they tried to get out from hostile territory, they gradually became friends within the group. Comrades, _family_.

Eventually, settlements started to coming out on the road while they were crossing the mainland, hiding in the mountains or the underground to escaped any possible attack. They started to help them in order to survive, savaging anything they could in exchange for supplies; weapon, armor, ammo, _food_ ; and also, warning them of the dangers of going further northwest so could avoid at any costs to go near to the coastline of the corrupted European sea, and in return, dwellers gave them sanctuary.

However, just as there was always danger, there was also _fear.._.

He still remembers those drained sorrowful faces, wrapped in worn traveling clothes, observing them both Andal and him with suspicion at the discovery of their true nature. Angered, they accused them with raging shouts that to follow them, it would end leading them all to an inexorable death.

History wasn't always about who's the good and the bad guy, and what was the right and the wrong way to do things.

When fear reigns among everything you cross your paths with, History ends up to be the Judge, no matter if whatever happened is long before you could ever know what was all this about, or even if you could do something about it.

 _'_ _They'll betray y'all!'_ , He remember they bellowed. _'They're the plague that destroyed the world! Our planet suffered this for those traitorous creatures!'_ , He recalls one of that unpleasant accusations, one of the lightest but still the most bitter ones he remembers as the days passed and the path crossed with different types of nomadic people or settlements. All of them escaping from the zone that they began to know as the _EDZ_.

He barely remembers what really happened or how all of this began; all this death and destruction, how everything that breaths must do the impossible in order to see another day, and so on. There are only memories that haunted him fleetingly at night when he pretends to fall sleep, as if he were dreaming awake. Things that happened but seemed impossible, or even didn't know if he had really lived them.

But he does know why those rumors exists anyway. And how they began.

He knows exactly who that poor folks were talking about. Written all in their exhausted faces was the struggle of the oppressed people that were scared and haven't the slightest of hopes.

He knows those stories.

About those ones she was talking about...

Those ' _like him'_.

Nothing could be more untrue...

Those who instigated that nefarious tales about slavery and subjugation. The true bad guys on their own right.

All of them dead now, because o _thers_ killed them.

It was a desperate move to prevent human extinction on this desolate planet, he could guess. So desperate but meaningful that made them worthy of being called the _not-so-bad_ guys for some, still suspicious on if this wasn't going to be the same with another faces, but for some others the true heroes and the rightful defenders of Humanity.

Those, who rose up to defend the almost extinct Mankind to bring Justice and Order. To be the rightful _lords_.

Still, nothing was certain about their whereabouts and heavens knows where they are now. Younglings could understand their tales like a scary bedtime's stories, and the not so young ignore their existence like if someone was telling them a fable.

But, one thing he may possibly know.

He believes to know where they could be going.

There were also rumors that made them mobilize for this campaign. Tales that spread by word of mouth to everyone who went from settlement to settlement, until it reached their ears.

They may be listening to _his_ call, in the same way he and Andal can listen it. In the same way their ghosts tell them they hear it too.

 _The Light_.

The road lies ahead, and they must follow it.

A hope to survive in a broken world, walking through an arduous road, uphill, among the most hostile mountains of this planet. _To the last refuge_. 

He walked greeting several people as he passed by until reach a small room, next to the huge entrance of the shelter where there was a communication cabin. He searched between the cabinets for the same raincoat that the rest of the group wore, hanging one on his forearm after examining it that it was in perfect condition.

In his way back, he spied the next tent in where Carina was attending an old man. Seeing her in her duties as a doctor and taking care of the old folk's arm, which fortunately, she had been able to save from amputation, assured him that it was possible she might be stayed occupied a while longer than she expected, giving him time to help the girl regain more confidence about this new environment, or him.

He quicken his steps followed by Ghost at an anxious pace when Andal's whistle in the distance attracted his attention. He was in the corner of the huge shelter, the closest thing to a workshop, counting the ammunition along with five other fellas that was restoring what appeared to be a pair of old trucks.

"Hey, pal! Where're you goin'!" He shouted joking from afar gesturing with both arms raised.

"To see the rain, bud! I'm feeling kinda nostalgic… I remember you just lemme in charge sayin' to me you'd be right back. Well, I'm handling this myself!" He answered in a playful mood while walking.

He heard Andal's cackle in the distance, in addition to the humorous shouting of those who accompanied him. Whistles and laughing also resounded in echoes through the place even though the noisy rain.

"Don't feel so smug, friend!" One of them added, lighthearted.

"She'll kick your ass again!" He listened another one say.

Cayde chuckled, pacing up. He was quite aware about that possibility.

A few meters before reach the tent, he lowered his strides and observed with some cautious if there was movement inside.

He could see the silhouette of the girl moving through the resting place with some impatience, coming and going in the small space as if she was expecting at any time to someone to appear.

He averted the eyes then, trying not to look like a nosy guy or a creepy dude for stay in there and appear to be spying on her. With hesitancy then, he made a sound like if he was clearing his throat from where he stood and stray his sight for modesty.

"Don't be shy and come say hi! I'm right here…" He said. His lighthearted voice gave the effect expected as he could hear the girl's hesitant steps approaching the entrance.

He moved away a little and turned his back to the tent when he heard them, just to give her a small space to not made her feel invaded, eyeing the place's movement and shifting where he was standing while his ghost was coming and going all around him moving her blades with some sort of excitement.

Then, when he heard the brush of the tent's door, turned almost immediately.

She was finally presentable. It was lucky that Carina had that pair of cloths and, fortunately, were her size; a gray cargo pants, black boots and a thick black sweater sheltered her from the cold humidity of that rainy day, and the most important think was she finally was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt more in line with her complexion, the cuff of the sleeves peeking out a little beneath the wool. She even seemed to have had some time to twist her chestnut long wavy hair in a loose twist over her left shoulder due the bandage in her head, and now she was outside the tent looking around wary, listening all the noises around her like something unknown and possible threating, fingers tugging the inside of the sweater's sleeves while shrugging, suspicious of every one of the movements she detected.

With hesitant steps, she shorted the distance between them meeting his eyes as she approached him, keeping some of her space with apprehensive eyes while minding her surroundings. The place was bigger than she could spied from inside.

"So…! This is The Base- _Our home_ , at least, for a few more days. In the meantime, feel free to go wherever you want," He wave his arms as an introduction to the whole place before turn to her and short the distance with two leisurely steps towards her. "It's your home too now…" He added in a reliable tone, eyes seeking hers.

She met his gaze at that statement, and something rustled in the air.

And when he noticed it, Cayde faltered and recalled the true intention of all this. "Oh, huh- sure! I brought this…" He extended with both arms the dark raincoat with playfulness, making her waver a little at the motion, puzzled for the sudden offer. "This will help you with that fear of yours 'bout storms. C'mon! Put it on!" He insisted.

She looked suspiciously at the cloak first and then at him twice, leery eyes but timid, attentive to everything until finally felt confident enough to close the gap and run her fingers over the smooth viscous material, knowing that his attention was on the slow motion of her hands. And then, a sudden whistling in the distance surprised her, making her looked back from where it came and then back on him.

"Don't mind them. They're saying " _Hi_ " in their byzantine but mannish mood." He said in a carefree tone without taking his eyes off her.

She barely shifted her gaze to the guys laughing in the catwalk from afar, joking with each other while they were looking them in the distance, and then she turned her attention back to him with her expression full of irony.

"I may had lost my memory, but I'm not stupid…" She said with both arched eyebrows that accentuated the expression in her eyes as she slipped the raincoat from his hands and started to put it on slowly. She heard him giggle after that while her sight was blocked by the material, and then, heard him shout in a funny mood something to the group in the distance.

"C'mon guys! You're making me look bad! What she'd think 'bout us? Be decent!"

When she finished, she didn't even pay attention to him while examining how she looked; the whole piece of fabric covered her all except from her legs, and she felt clumsy and ridiculously small with that whilst extending a little one of her arms to test its width. The laughter in the distance faded away, and she realized in that moment then that she had all his attention on her again, returning her gaze at him with an inquiring look.

He inspected her for a second and without giving her time to react, grasped the raincoat's hood on her shoulders putting it on over her head with both hands. She froze.

"Perfect! Now, follow me!" He gestured eagerly as he started walking towards the huge entrance a several meters behind them.

When she finally started to pay attention to what was happening around them, her lips relaxed in an expression of wonder.

As she followed him, she could now admire the trails of water falling like thick threads from the height, and a dense curtain of water in the background dominating the landscape wholly, making difficult to see at the distance, dancing and unveiling the figure of the wind while it fell from the gray skies.

At times she looked at him in a mix of disbelieve and wariness while he was still attentive of her following him or not, turning back from time to time as he keenly walked a few steps backwards in a playful mood, and then walk again forward at a short distance but always keeping her close. Every time he looked at her, his eyes lit in an intense bright.

Shy at moments, she noted some curious eyes prying on her like she had a magnet, seeing at the same time how some greeted her guide with some sort of complicity on their gazes while others gave her a kind smile.

She turned just once looking back at the tent, observing that they had walked a relative distance from where they were, and looking out further back she could realize how enormous the structure of the warehouse was; destroyed at the back and buried by a large displacement of land from where some trails of water that it slip between some holes and rocks were entering to the place like natural streams.

Ghost passed in front of her attracting her attention and making her look back again forward to where they are going. Her red and white blades twirling with excitement while giving circles around the girl with her sole bright eye not wanting to lose sight of her.

She followed her with her eyes, curious about her cheerful reactions and almost making her hint a brief smile because of her eagerness. Then, she saw her floated back to her owner, who share his attention then between the curtain of water and her.

"C'mon!" He called her out with enthusiasm, inviting her with his hand extended to her at the edge of the entrance. The light of his vocal module vibrating with intensity. "There's nothing to be afraid. I promise!"

She gave her brief and cautious looks, and only a few glances to his gloved hand as a suggestion for her to reach him, but for nothing in the world she could take her eyes out the calamitous veil of water in front of them, falling from the rooftops of the shelter and from the howling grey sky with ferocious might.

There was a concrete boulder a few meters ahead under the lashing water that seemed to have a considerable fall; eroded by the edges, probably because events like this that had happened before, exposing the twisted and rusted iron skeleton that it was made.

She then paid attention to the ambience around her. The sound was different than she had heard the first time. Now it was roar, constant and pleasant, almost like a lullaby.

She took hesitant steps, her heart beating in her chest with thrilling emotion while holding her breath, examining far and wide the effect of the water in front of her. She could feel his gaze contemplating her every expression.

The water was splashing where part of the cascade hit against the concrete, wetting their boots and parts of their clothing as they stood at the gate of the shelter. She seemed captivated, eyes wide-open as she blinked amazed, her eyelashes accentuating her incredulity while she tried to explore every corner of the huge entrance. Open-mouthed in awe, it could be read in her expressions that it was something that she was seeing for the first time, because he saw her genuinely astonished at the same time the small particles of water in suspension beginning to soak her raincoat and the few curls of her hair that jutted out from inside the hood in the contour of her face; on her eyelashes, on her skin.

"This is where the water you drank came from…" He waved approaching her in a gentle and careful tone. She looked back at him, full of astonishment with rosy cheeks and lighted irises. He got dumbfounded.

"This is _rain…_?" It's all she said to him with emotion in her voice, almost humming.

He stood looking at her, feeling while looking into her eyes the same emotion that was growing inside him, observing her pupils moved excited as she wait for his answer expectantly and full of excitement. "Yeah, that's it! This is rain!" He returned, catching her eagerness.

He looked back at the waterfall and took a few steps, returning a few glances to her with the suggestion she do the same. He extended his right hand towards the curtain of water, wetting just a little his gloved fingers, but enough for the liquid to drip from the glove through the inside of his palm and arm.

"See? Nothin' to worry about! Just give a try!" He encouraged cheery returning his attention to her.

He saw her eyes light up more, gaping anxiously to feel something that was marveling all her senses and made her perceive a new world of sensations. And with hesitancy first, she walked by his side and extended her arm out of the raincoat at the trails of untamed water.

When her fingers touched the cold liquid, and stifling an exclamation of pleasant surprise, her whole demeanor changed; a radiance cheer adorned all her face with an astonished smile marking her cheekbones, pressing against her chest the wet hand excited to feel the freshness against her skin.

She heard him laugh and turned to him still amazed. "It's cold, isn't it!" He asked again joyfully.

"Yes!" She answered at once squealing with delight, again extending her fingers more confidently against the current of water. Whimpering every now and then with eagerness when some drops jumped to her face. She heard him laugh several times more, before returning her gaze to him.

"Do you like it?" He asked eagerly trying to catch her attention and narrowing the distance. "Look! My hand got soaked too!" He added as he showed her his hands, the glove of his right-hand dripping.

"Yeah, your hand is soaked!" She said giddy and hesitating to take his hand, but then looking back in ecstasy to the waterfall, intoxicated by an overwhelming sense of joy.

Her happiness mingled with the sound of the water against the ground and the roaring of the waterfall as he crossed his arms and gave her a few glances when she reached and feel the force of the water rushing from the roof through her fingers. And when he noticed, he was wholly drawn to her.

Then, she returned her gaze to him. Shinny smile all over her face, radiant cheeks and bright eyes. Her full expression was different now, vivid and colorful.

He kept looking her, and she hesitated when she noticed it.

It didn't pass too long in which they keep holding their gazes that a distant rumble surprised her, leaving her tense in place.

She could see it, even though the water.

A light first, luminous roots scattering across the sky in a matter of seconds later, and then a mighty roar.

He watched her waver, and the glowing expression of a few seconds ago almost disappear.

"That's a lightning…" He pointed at her in a calm tone. "That's what woke you up before." He searched her eyes, hoping to see the curve of her smile again.

She remained watchful looking through the veil of water, blinking nervously at the sight of another of those roaring blazes and the ominous sound that followed rumbling throughout the roof and walls of the shelter at the same time some whistles and laughter were heard in the background in which they seemed to rejoice in that blasting sound.

"A _storm_?" She asked doubtfully turning back at him, accentuating her expression with arched eyebrows.

"Yup, exactly..." He replied contemplative.

He briefly noted that now she looked at the scene with a sense wonder, as if she could see for the first time and clearly that something that was frightening her in the past, now was the most beautiful things she had ever seen.

The forest in the distance, the mountains beyond the horizon, and the imposing thunderclouds where the lighting danced in the highs at moments releasing its beautiful ferocity.

They remained silent only contemplating the sounds of the curtain of water and the raging fury of the air filling the world. He didn't say or did a thing while stay in this quite but comfort impasse. He just… stood… right _there_. Right beside her.

And then again, he watched her slightly from the corner of his eyes. She was tall enough to reach a little more over his shoulders. Motionless, but joyful of what she was contemplating with first-time eyes. And he kept looking at her in quiet.

Slowly, the force of the falling water diminished, and after a few minutes, sunlight shone timidly against the distant mountain range, fanning the everlasting gray-blue that it possessed and the emerald green mixed with the earthy shade of the trees in the distant forest a couple of kilometers down the road.

Then again, her gaze was filled with wonderment of watching the spectacle of a thousand colors.

She stifled an exclamation of amazement and smiled again.

" _A rainbow_." Ghost was heard floating towards her from her right side, calling her attention. " _It's a phenomenon generated by an effect called a "prism" that consists in the decomposition of light through the water molecules,_ " She looked at her even more amazed, and returned the attention to the enormous arc of colors that could be seen appearing in the distant skies. " _When it rains, usually when the storm subsides, we can see something like this. Raindrops manage to capture light during the fall from the air mass, and this is when this unique visual effect is generated_."

"It's beautiful!" She marveled with a glowing smile.

He had now his gaze fully on her. "Yes, I know..." His voice was low and intended.

When she turned her attention to him with curiosity, she realized he was watching her closely, and immediately looked down at the soggy sweater cuffs. Her cheeks burning. Why is it his expression was so close right now?

Another moment passed while she could feel his gaze over her, and at the same she was trying to focus in something else to distract herself, her hands toyed with the cuffs of her sweater and T-shirt, and unconsciously, with her fingertips brushing a soft scrape on them. She rolled up her sleeves slowly recognizing the marks that made Carina gave her that condescending look the first time she who woke up here, and somehow falling into the account she was unaware of her origins and identity. Uncertainty dimmed her eagerness.

"Hey… What's wrong?" She heard the voice of who accompanied her with some concern.

She didn't look up as she examined the marks, passing the tips of her fingers over them, sensing the regenerated skin in her small wrists.

"I don't know who I am, or where I came from…" She whispered with trembling voice. "And I don't know if I ever will know…". Dejected, she noticed the restlessness of who was at her side now turning to her.

"Me neither…" She heard him answer in a longing tone.

She rose her gaze taken by surprise and found him looking at those marks intently before fixing his gaze on her again.

"Remember when I told you being rezzed not recalling anything at all from my previous life?" He inquired in a quiet tone. She nodded. "I never knew who I was before… _all_ this; I have… vague 'memories', or I think they are mine; like flashes, like those lighting you saw," He pointed looking at the horizon, then turn to her with the pupils shining more intensely. "First, I was worried, desperate because I couldn't understand what was going on and why I was alive again and there wasn't anybody in miles wide who were, or why I couldn't remember anything though; Then ... I was afraid, terrified… because I was alone, but ..." He faltered, his voice muffled. He looked down for a moment and then returned his attention back to her. Her face broke in an expression of anguish. "but then, I started walking, 'til Andal found me, and then-"

"' _Here you are' ..._ " She concluded, surprising him. He noticed that her expression recovered a little of that same light from before, shining more and more.

"Yeah, ' _here I am_ ' _..._ " He said in a candid tone and staring at her, seeing that again, her lips began to simulate a shy smile.

There was again that same rustle he felt some moments ago, and with the intention to keep cheering her up, he kept talking. "Like you did! Look at you! Here, losing that fear of yours for the storms! I told ya you're fearless, girl! You can beat down whatever that's on your way!" He shook his arms in a playful mood while Ghost started again to twirl around her emulating that same eagerness.

And since it had stopped raining, he could hear, because she restrain herself, a subtle giggle. A genuine one, so soft and delightful that he can't believe it…

"That's all that matters, don't you think? To keep walking…" He added again, cheerfully and trying to gain her eyes on him again.

"Yeah, I guess so…" She replied timidly with a soft voice. There was a pleasant silence as she examined her wrists again.

" _Then I_ _suppose that 'She' isn't afraid of us anymore and is now more comfortable, is that correct?_ " Ghost was heard intrigued, moving her small blades attentively as she approached her.

"Yes ..." She replied shyly giving her brief glances.

" _Then 'She' like us!_ " Ghost claimed with eager innocence, spinning her blades quickly as she returned her attention to her owner, causing the girl to blush more and hide a grimace on the back of her left hand while looking down.

"Yeah, yeah! Well, _maybe_ , in the meantime, we should stop addressing her as ' _She_ ', and find her a proper name. Don't cha think, lil' bud?" He suggested playfully crossing his arms again at his ghost.

"Like you did?" She teased looking up and blushing. Cayde let know in his expressions that was both perplexed and amused.

"Yeah, like I did! Say what, is my name funny to you…?" He said following her game, and the warm light of his voice light up the inside of the hood. She tried to hide a chuckle looking down.

"No, is not…" She just replied in a quiet murmur still smiling and blushing, at the same time she was well aware of his resolve to make her look him back again. "It's… fine…" she added, hearing a low chuckle for an answer.

"Who gave you your name?" She asked a few seconds later, intrigued, raising her eyes again to him with a shy smile. Exactly as he wanted and finding what she expected, his all attention on her.

"Andal, because I was so lost and stranded that I didn't even bother to see among my stuff what my damn name was, or at least if there was hint of it. I'd repeat his exact same words when he made me realize that but better don't! I don't wanna make the ol' man look like a grumpy guy or make myself look like as thick as two planks I could be." He teased, making her smile more. There were laughs of complicity for a few seconds, and then-.

" _Cayde_ ..." Her voice was soft like a rumor, paralyzing him in place.

He stared without being able to take his eyes off her.

"You found me ..." She stated with a quiet but deep voice, pressing her lips in a nervous smile, and then extending her right wrist uncovered to him. "Would you give me a name…?"

He was mystified, speechless, getting drawn directly into her eyes.

" _Please…?_ " She added in a soft plea.

He turned his gaze to her uncovered wrist then and hesitated a few moments before taking her small wrist carefully with both hands, noticing that her skin bristled under his touch. He didn't even have to try to narrow the little distance between them because, at the end, it was she the one who dared to do it.

Now, there were in the same space.

He examined her marks, barely caressing his fingers over them at the thought that the slightest rose will scare her away.

At that time of the evening, the sky was beginning to be dyed between deep blue, purple, cyan and magenta while the dusk started to cover it all with its slumber motionlessness. But he could see her perfectly, just as daylight. And when he looked up and meet her gaze, her dark-grey eyes were being completely insightful of what he would say.

"Hmm ... there's a 2 and a L, and also an S" He spoke illuminating both with the golden light of his vocal chords. He murmured to himself several times toying with words, making the glow he emitted stay only between them. Until then, finally, something came to his mind.

" _Tulisse_ …" He whispered like a discovery. He stared with bright eyes, shining with intensity at the sight of her. "Your name is Tulisse" He said only to her ears.

He could see the brightness of his own eyes in hers, and a huge smile drawing all over her face even though the night had fallen long ago.

"Fine by me…!" Tulisse said with joy. The smile lit her face, making the expression in her eyes shine with a shy lively laugh. Cayde found himself being caught up in her emotion and let out a laugh.

"Well then, Tulisse. Welcome home!" He reaffirmed cheerier, holding now with his right hand her right wrist, and with his other covering it, getting eager to hear her thrilled laugh for his proposal, and realizing that the gesture of her fingers against his own right forearm was reciprocal as they clung to him.

He got so immersed in her smile, those livid eyes looking at him with such joy that it didn't have time to notice her free hand settling over the one in which he covered her right wrist where her baptism mark was. They stayed together in a warm clasp, remaining just like that for a few moments until, almost at the same time and with reluctance to lose contact, they let go each other. 

The night already covered the land, and the cold after the rain reigned everywhere and inside the shelter while several bonfires started to being light up to protect the inhabitants of the refuge from the chillness and the darkness.

By that time, they walked in complicit silence towards the heat of the fire a few meters inside the refuge while Ghost called her with enthusiasm by her name, the name he had gave her. Her presence was heard among the crowd now, letting him admire her expression at the feeling of being called for a name as if it was looking at the rain for the first time. 

* * *

**Author's notes** :

 _Thanks to all those who followed and liked these first 4 chapters of my fic so far, and thanks again to those who, despite some little grammar or spelling mistakes that could have been, continued to read it; I know the mistakes are there, and I promise to work hard to prevent them in future updates. For that reason, I apologize again to the English speakers who read it or had read it and maybe they were a bit disappointed at the moment of being immersed in the reading, finding these little annoyances in the flow of the narrative._

 _I am working on my way for now without any beta and nothing more than my own intuition to detect the errors or typos with the level of comprehension of English language I can handle as well as my understanding of what I've had studied in the past years, in addition of the knowledge of have made translations in the past just for fun._

 _So, if in the future, if I find someone who is interested to see how this story goes to unfold and enjoys it and wants to collaborate so its narration can be polished and correct, wanting to be enjoyed at its fullest, help will be of course welcomed!_

 _In the meantime, I promise to give my best so the experience of you all reading this can be agreeable!_

 _Now, I personally want to thank the review of a guest who, not only liked how I write but also was happy to see my fic not only on this site but on another platform as well. So, hey, Stranger! Thank you very much for your supportive words, and for being the very first to leave your comment! You don't know how happy you made me writing those brief but sincere words. I felt rewarded knowing that my writing, somehow and despite the mistakes, could like to someone as well for those who dare to click on the link and start reading. Again, thank you very much for your review, it is really_ _really_ _appreciated. For you and for others like you, I promise I'll give my best to improve my flaws when writing and editing in English is involved, as well as spelling and grammar._

 _From now on, I would like to clarify again and repeat, that many of the issues that I'd write about—or at least, I would like to develop further this point— may contain very sensitive subjects that may be sensitive to the general audience. So, please, you're being advised from now on if you keep reading._

 _I do not want, much less, it is my intention to hurt the susceptibility of anyone or make anybody have a bad time while reading._

 _My deepest desire is, through the words I write, help others to go through difficult times in order to rediscover themselves portrayed as fictional characters, finding a way to feel better and complete again, and a way to face our everyday in our lives._

 _If something that could be written here disturbs you or bothers you, I sincerely apologize. This story, as well as every piece of fiction, fanfiction or original work, is made to reflect our experiences as a way of expressing the cathartic nature of what ails us, to seek what we want to express when we cannot do it with our own words or voice._

 _Once again and hoping that you will join me through this journey in which I ventured when I first met Destiny and decided to work on this, I will see you in the next update. I love you all guys! I wish you the best!_


	5. Chapter 5

The sound of the rain had been replaced by the sound of water dripping down from the roofs of the huge shelter, mingled with the voices of those inhabitants of the refuge, who gathered in different bonfires, were exchanging stories, laugh and were chill whilst sharing a last-minute dinner before start with the night watches.

There were only a few sectors of the huge place that were illuminated. Some tents were setting under one of the walkways against the wall of the warehouse, right next to the workshop. They had their own lantern hanging on the rafter of the roof of the tent while some others, rather smaller and wide enough to let two people take shelter under the ragged piece of fabric that could be passed for a tent, were scattered around the shelter, all close to the nearest campfire seeking the warm protection against the coldness of the night.

Even though this place was too big for all of them, and gloomy at night despite the bright where the fire reached, it was safe.

She started to feel safe.

There were only three people that seemed to be vigilant in the small cabin next to the entrance, working on what it appeared to be an old artifact; some sort of radio as far as she could see through the blurred glass of the old window. That man Andal was in there.

The expression of his face was stern while he was talking with the two others, even though through that old windows it could be seen. She believed that the conversation was about something important —a pressing matter—, because every time they spoke, he seemed to listen thoughtfully, giving them all his attention while looking down to something they seemed to mark him.

Could it be that what he's talking about now what he was trying to say to Carina earlier? _That_ thing she didn't have to know?

Tulisse observed for a while in the distance, curious but cautious about what was could possible going on in there, intrigued at the thought if it there was a possibility to get closer without being caught and listening whatever they were talking, whatever it was she not supposed to listen to.

Sitting on one of the logs around the bonfires, observing with attention each one of those people who were unknown to her, but at least, didn't give her that sense of menace while being among them, she remained, attentive about the reaction of the two other men with Andal, and especially his.

She watched them, and then she notices it: He was frowning.

A light cold breeze blew like a grim caress, and the small of her back shuddered.

Without the raincoat on, she could feel the moisture in the cuffs of the sweater causing shivers on her skin. Even close to the heat, she could feel the chilly sensation on her back and legs too. She nestled herself, reaching her hands to the fire at times to try to back away the coldness of the night. Or it was something else?

A curious but subtle movement caught her eye making turn barely her attention, and Ghost appeared floating beside her left tilting her back blades and focusing her eye with an intriguing gesture. Tulisse smile back, puzzled but amused.

It was the first time Tulisse looked Ghost this close, still being cautious about her presence but more intrigued than before. She was so small and seemed to be so weightless that she could easily have her in both her hands without any effort, just like she imagined a songbird could be, turning her curiosity in a concealed giddy hope to ask the little one if there was a teeny-tiny chance to verify how light a ghost could be, and before she could even react, footsteps echoed from behind surprising her.

"There you go! Supper time!" Cayde's humorous voice startled her as she saw him confidently sitting right next to her. "Ain't so much but… it's better than nothing. Eat it while's still warm, I hope you're hungry."

As she adjusted to be this close again in his company, Tulisse observed with a cautious but attentive look how he handed her a plate with food and a fork as he settled in leaving something at his feet with the opposite hand. Her attention went directly to the contents of the dish, not paying anymore too much attention on Cayde's movements. She didn't know what it was, but her mouth salivated at the smell of it, making her stomach growl.

"Just take small bites, so you can enjoy the meal-"

He didn't finish to say it that the girl snatched the dish with some suspicion, and with a first tentative bite, avidly chewed the roast piece of meat after, starting to gorge not hiding moans of approval that she really was enjoying every time she munch and swallowed keenly.

"HAHA! OK, forget 'bout I said! Just try not to get a gut-ache for eat that fast or Doc's gonna be mad at me!" He teased shaking his head as he offered her in a breezy way a piece of cloth he got in his lap. She turned to him at once noticing the movement, her mouth full, munching and distrustful with all her body language tense, her lips rubbed in grease and pieces of mashed potatoes at the corners as her eyes scrutinized her company. As soon as he paid attention to her, Cayde burst in laughter. "HAHAHA! Oh, boy! You're a mess!" He barely verbalized. "I figured you'd be this eager to dinner so, good thing I brought this!" He added then, attempting to clean her face.

She leaned backward, somewhat puzzled at his action, the expression of bewilderment in her gestures as she was putting away the plate, making Cayde burst again in another attack of laughter.

"HAHAHA! No, no! Listen! _Listen, Lis_ : I'm just tryin' to help you to clean your mouth, see? Like this… you have ' _tatoes'_ on your cheeks." He gestured trying to give her again the cloth, which, with suspicion, she slid from his hands as she let the plate on her lap and examined the rag. "It's a napkin- well, sorta. It's to use for things like this: you get messy with food and you need to use one to clean yourself."

Tulisse looked again at the rag and then back to him with apprehensive eyes, observing that he insisted by nodding. Still wary after a brief but insightful consideration, she rubbed the piece of cloth over her mouth with sloppy attention, perhaps finally getting what he was trying to say, just to leave that ragged piece on her lap later and starting to munch and swallow again with fussy wariness.

She stared back at him again with curious eyes, meeting his bright light-blue pupils moving and examining carefully her face, lit by the fire. She blinked bewildered almost as if she was asking if she did it okay or what. Does he was staring at her again?

"Not bad, but… you still have some food on your face. Just- Lemme..." He added in a hushed tone, raising his hand to her face, startling her for the closeness just enough for her to lean back a little. She remained still, puzzle but dazed for his action. Cayde removed with his thumb a small piece of food from her right cheek while his gaze peer into her.

She looked at him bemused, blinking without being able to look away while she was feeling the cool smooth touch of the leather of his glove against her cheek. It was only a second, but she had the impression it had lasted a bit more.

"There..." He whispered, moving leisurely his hand away. His gaze faltering, searching for any excuse to keep looking at her; huge eyes sparkling at the warm light of the bonfire keeping her gaze on him, trying to understand him. And with hesitation, he lowered his gaze, slipping carefully the piece of cloth from her lap to clean his fingers. "Just try to eat slowly. Enjoy the food." He added in a casual way, rising his gaze at her again, trying to distract himself and looking around before leaning to his side to take the container at his feet.

Tulisse watched him for a while, surveying his movements before turning back her attention to the plate. Something stirred in her because of the whole situation, triggering a sort of uneasiness but also an awkwardness that she couldn't put into words, and paying back attention to her meal again, she looked him again out of the corner of her eye as she pricked with the fork small pieces of meat. She kept looking at him from time to time, suspicious but interested, studying him while he was looking around nonchalantly. When he turned his gaze to her again, catching her unaware and handling her again an uncapped canteen with a slight and inquiring movement, she faltered.

"You want some…?" Cayde asked with familiarity. And Tulisse couldn't help but slid a hint of a smile, vacillating.

Holding again the canteen, she sniffed first and then took a little sip to verify that what was in it was innocuous; taking long sips after, exhaling with satisfaction at the feeling of being satiated before wiping her lips with the back of her hand and returning her gaze to him. "Now you know you don't have to drink fast or you'd choke…" He joked softly leaning just enough to emphasize.

She smirked and turns her gaze down to the container for a few minutes, hiding her shyness, and then look back at him again in complicity. "Yes. Thank you…" She replied quietly. He giggled, the light of his modulator mingling with the glow of the fire before turning his attention to the embers, elbows on his knees and fingers entwined.

They remained quiet, entertained while the sounds of the place surround them, and after having left the canteen near the trunk, she continued dedicating her attention to the dish, not skimping on the portions she put together.

Toying with the tips of his boots, Cayde barely turned to look at her again with accomplice eyes as she returned her gaze at him with a probing smile, letting him know that she was attentive to each of his movements.

"So… All good now?" He asked out of curiosity in a casual way. "How's your head? Doc seemed to did good work with that…"

Tulisse finished chewing and swallow before looking again at the plate and what it was left of the meal, smiling, touching with cautious the bandage on her head with her fingertips. "Only hurts when I shake my head. I almost don't feel it…" She answered quietly, noticing that he didn't seem satisfied with that answer and keep looking at her. "I imagine you ask if I'm OK now because I'm not afraid of storms. Certainly, I had never seen anything like that, or at least, I don't remember ..." Her voice turned sadder at the end before going back to the last of her dinner.

"Oh no! huh ... My bad! I didn't want to take the conversation there. I was just trying to- you know- _if_ you're still feeling scared, there's no reason to be it. You see… Carina, Andal, these noisy fellas who only seem to fill the void with yelling and whistling, they're just want to be friendly", He shifted awkwardly with his hands on his knees, trying to look for the accurate words. "Well, I just wanted to know-"

"I feel safe. Thank you ..." Her voice was soft and those little specks of brown on her gray irises reflected the glow of the fire as she looked at him with a slight curve in her face, interrupting his mumble.

Cayde stared at her before nodding pleased as he slipped a hushed approval from his vocal module, illuminating just a little her face with the same light that surrounded them and without looking away from her. He could see that her cheeks took another tone, just as warm as the fire in front of them.

She wavered, still smiling but pressing just a little her lips before to look up at him again, rather curious about clarify something than question the obvious. "You don't have supper?" Tulisse asked, surprising him but making him doubt.

"Well, maybe could have some later, if these guys let something enough to sink your teeth into 'cause, how anyone could decline a piece of roasted meat." Cayde suggested joyfully, letting his attention wander at his surroundings.

"I was hungry…" Tulisse said with some embarrassment in her tone looking down to her plate again.

"Hey, don't feel bad at all! I'm just proving you right! That's smells _damn_ good!" He added in an instant, just touching hesitantly with his fingertips her forearm. She looked up at him again with coyness but returning him a smile, feeling that bristle again, at least briefly, when the smoothness rose again against her skin. "You were, just… y'know, way to more enthusiastic to have supper and that's totally fine 'cause you were hungry; you have your improvised napkin now. A welcoming gift for this humble lil' guy beside you, and there's nothing more to worry about if want to enjoy your meal", He paused, still joking. "Just like I told ya: you're at home now and you can eat as much as you want."

She widened her smile, still embarrassed but amused with his witted tone. Every time he kept talking to her like this, she could feel that awkward sensation turning into an increasing keenness, just as kindled as the fire in front of them.

With a slight gesture then, she offered him what was left on her plate, and she saw with wonder how surprised he looked like at her offering, almost surprising herself on how easily his features could be read.

"It's my way to say thank you…" She said. "We can share it…"

Cayde stared at her again, perplex and drawn to her for a moment for this sudden response. "It's OK, Lis. That's yours…" He replied softly, letting her to know with a subtle blinking of his chords. He saw her squeeze her lips again, and her eyes lit.

"I like 'Lis'." She whispered.

And Cayde felt everything around him just fell silent but one thing before him.

Before they could notice it, someone else joined.

"Well, well! We have a rookie!" A woman's voice was heard suddenly and at the same time someone sat down on her left.

Tulisse startled with the sudden intrusion, leaning to the opposite side, almost throwing the plate and the fork, confused and alarmed.

The owner of that slyly voice was young, blonde hair and freckles all over her face; a pair of light-blue eyes so vivid that match the intensity of the fire. "Shame on you, Cayde! Having _all_ this attention just for yourself! So unfair!" She was already comfortable on the log, not even paying attention to the uneasiness that her actions generated on Tulisse.

This young woman eyed her with suggestive bright eyes and long black lashes adorning her expression, along with her well-defined and graceful eyebrows that provided warmth to her features, as well as boldness; her thin but full lips drew a cunning smile that ended with her cheeks marked as she looked for Tulisse's eyes, leaning a little her head with her elbows on her knees that made her golden hair fall down from her shoulders and glow against the light of the fire like silk.

"You didn't take me by surprise, even if you wanted to, Joyce, but I can tell you scared her and that's just mean." Cayde's voice sounded, although mocking, with some reproach vibrating against her back, giving her a start and making her realized how close she was from him, like almost against his body; all the detail of his face could be seen this close, and even it was able to see perfectly his lit pupils and the expression of his mechanic brows in the moment she turned.

This girl Joyce stifled a mocking laugh, raising her eyebrows with total amusement. "Oh, _that's_ what I'm talking about!"

Tulisse put herself off as far as she could from him before leaving with her shaking hands the plate on the floor, shrugging her shoulders and pressing her lips together, her head down and her expression full of embarrassment feeling blush rushing all over her face.

"Nobody told you that sometimes, you're too funny for your own good, J?" His voice sounded cheery but tense while Joyce was still laughing, and through the corner of her eyes, she saw him shook his head in disapproval for the whole situation, gesticulating with resignation his hands and then turning his attention to the girl. With a shy look, she turned to him hearing that the girl Joyce stopping her laugh. "Remember when I told you 'bout how they say _hi_?" He whispered with a humoring tone.

Tulisse looked him with a hint of a smile before turning to this young woman, still with the sensation burning in her cheeks and a feeling that was alien to her and made her feel exposed.

"I was jokin', hun! Wasn't my intention to scare ya!" Her youthful sparkling voice accompanied the cheeks marked by her freckled smile. "Jocelyn Kürtz at your service, but just _Joyce_ for these losers," She extended her left hand and waited until Tulisse, hesitant and curious, reached hers; her calloused fingers, a sign of living in The Wilds, and the firm grip was what she felt when she shook her hand. "For this guy it's just _Mrs. J_." She added with a subtle roguish wink to Cayde.

"Most importantly, I must never forget the ' _Mrs._ ' thing."

" _Ever_."

Cayde just nodded, shrugging his shoulders and gesturing with his hands and lighting his vocal cords with a light " _Noted_ " disguised in a mumble. She looked at him holding a slight smile before turning to the newcomer, still shy and quiet.

"Tulisse…" Was barely heard, letting go Joyce's hand slowly while she was still eyeing her. Her voice was a deep but gentle tune between them.

"Just Tulisse…?" Joyce asked narrowing her eyes and raising an eyebrow with a suggestive smile and intrigued batting-lashes.

"You can call me Lis too…" Tulisse added softly, looking away after and hiding her shyness at the feeling of this girl's enquiring gaze.

However, she could still observe her barely turned to look pass right beside her at the reactions of who, silently, was listen to both, emphasizing her expression as someone who understands about things that are unnecessary to being told. Joyce smirked, pleased. "It's a cute name. I'd love to call you Lis tho…"

Tulisse widened her smile before returning her attention to her restless hands, playing with the still moisten cuffs of her sweater, daring to spy on who was on her right. He was leaned forward, tapping leisurely with the tips of his boots again and poking around before turning back to the two girls in a casual way. She pressed a smile in her lips, looking down.

"So, I assume this guy here gave you a brief tour of The Base, but he completely omitted to introduce you to the rest of the crew..." Joyce stood up with liveliness, still joking at Cayde's expense. "It's a bit late and shifts starts quite early tho. Come! Introduce yourself! Don't be shy! I have your back, girl!" She extended her hand inviting her to stand up.

But still, with some coyness, Tulisse stood up dubious noticing the hesitant movements of Ghost, who watchful of the whole situation scrutinized from a certain distance as an eager spectator.

She smiled back, encouraged for Joyce before taking her hand hesitantly and walked away with her straight to a group a few steps in another nearby bonfire.

Before the group caught her attention with Joyce introducing her, she looked back. Her eyes sought him impatiently as a reassurance: Already standing, arms crossed with a stress-free attitude though expectant.

Tulisse could see his eyes in intense bright blue light, attentive to what was happening around her in the distance.

She gave back a smile, knowing that he was viewing her in the distance, and at the safety of that, her attention returned to the young woman laughing by her side and holding her in a cheerful invitation.

Cayde could hear Joyce's voice with her mischievous tone talking to the rest, trying to pry his senses whenever he heard her name. Or her nickname.

It was curious how that made him feel. Or… maybe not.

It might or might not make him feel restless, but he needed to look steady and cool for her, right? He was watching her over and being like this it was totally normal and responsible, and that was all. Absolutely normal.

His little companion caught his eye floating curious to see that he didn't look away by any means from where Tulisse was; when she caught his attention, it seemed to take him by surprise.

"What ...?"

" _Are you OK?_ _The internal functions of your body are being… erratic…_ " She pointed moving her front blades with inquiry but an implicit gesture.

Cayde shook his head, stunned. "WHAT-?"

"Hey pal!" A friendly voice surprised him by patting his shoulder and making him jump in place.

"WHAT!"

"Wow! What's wrong with you! What's that for!" Andal raised his hands, eyes wide open and confused by his reaction.

"OH! Huh- _You_! I was thinking 'bout… some stuff- Didn't see you coming by the way, sorry bud…" He shook his hands and his head as the tune of his voice was noisy and poorly disguised.

Andal frowned glancing briefly at the distance, where his buddy was looking. Then, he gave a mocking sigh with a slight grimace, and turned to look at him. "Well, that's new ... I guess…" He muttered teasing him.

"Huh, excuse me?"

He let go a giggle, starting to walk away. "Nevermind. C'mon, we must check something at comms." Andal shook his head, smirking while leaving, his friend following.

"OK, but you'll answer me what you're meaning. I was trying to be responsible over there and you distracted me!"

"Sure, pal! You have that!"

They walked to the communications cabin where two other man were waiting for them.

* * *

There was a small table right next to the short-wave equipment with which they kept notifications of the patrols that were on duty right now within a radius of 5 kilometers coming to inform the situation on the perimeter. Leftovers of what it looked like the same dinner that everyone had lied on it.

Another small rectangular table was in the center of the scene in the little room with a map with different marks that caught Cayde's attention, the old lamp blinking from time to time over it while the sound of the static of the radio operated by that two young man filled the small space; It was an extremely old equipment that they had been able to save from the arduous recovery of electronic parts and data recollection in some old cities they had visited months ago. It was rudimentary but useful for communications between them, the kind of thing that keep them in together. _A treasure_.

Their ghosts could easily link their radio signals to it and stay in contact through the radio channels they used, and in that way, they could be continuously observant of the movements of the rest of the group, and as usual, to kill the time between rounds, making easier the wait with some story or joke.

When Cayde and Andal entered and after a few greetings of camaraderie, they became aware of the situation.

" _Hawk_ and _Owl_ scouting party had just finished the watch in the north and south quadrants and are returning as well as _Wolf_ and _Fox_ , from the east and west, but…" There was a small a tense pause in the explanation of one of the men. "When that last two were leaving their positions, they confirmed suspicious movement a little far from The Passage; to the east... into The Valley." Cayde and Andal looked at each other, intrigued but cautious. "They couldn't describe exactly what it was because they maintain their distance just in case it could be dangerous, but for its movements they assumed that it was a group of Fallen scavengers looking for what it comes into their way. They shouldn't be there in the morning." Suggested the man, a little younger than his companion; Slender, with thick bushy eyebrows and deep black eyes, he seemed to have a perpetual expression of concern.

"Shame that we can't go to say hi. We'd blow the whistle about our position." Cayde was contemplating the marks on the map, arms folded as he studied it. " _But_ , it wouldn't be a problem if they're still there by tomorrow morning. It'd be _their_ fault!"

"Yeah, sure! Even though there's a possibility that we might end up getting the attention of the Captains, or worst, _the Kell._ " Andal said ironically, trying to pay attention to the map but looking reproachfully at his friend.

Cayde spun around, waving his arms and eyes narrowed, the resignation on his shoulders as his ghost appeared from behind. "You're a party pooper, Brask ..."

"Every once in a while, it's good to have your head on your shoulders, pal. The Valley ain't an easy place and there any to none places to hide. We have to be careful on this." He explained smiling as he turned his attention to the map.

"Like I said: _party pooper._ " Cayde remarked, his eyes bright and expressive as the module illuminated his features, waving a free hand up in teasing tone.

"How you throw a party without the element of surprise? C'mon Cayde, be serious!"

Someone coughed attracting their attention. "Sorry, but- We might be able to ambush them…"

The other man interrupted: a lanky young man, his voice tense and tired.

Both newcomers looked at him surprised, even his young companion; the two men, the young one in a tone of disbelief and Andal frowning attentively, lips tight in a disapproving tone and regretting what he just said and hoping this comment would be ignored. But Cayde leaned back on the table, looking interested in what this man could say.

"Now you have my attention."

The man kept a nervous smile when noticing Cayde's attention on him, but what it made him more anxious was the glance of disapproval of the rest. He cleared his throat, trying to encourage himself.

"In case that, within these days they're still in the area or appear while we're in the move, the road to The Passage has boulders where we can hide and ambush them from the highs," He explained, the voice faltering. "We have 3 snipers, including Mr. Andal. If we can get in position before they see us, we can neutralize them, even ambush them in a crossfire, stopping in their tracks if they want to escape and warn about our position to the rest of the Devils. And even better, we'd have time to collect whatever they're carrying, or just find out what they're doing there."

Cayde turned to Andal in a suggestive mood, emphasizing his gaze with a sly expression.

"It's a bad idea, and you know it." He stated, crossing his arms in a serious tone, making the lines of expression on his forehead notorious with his huge expressive eyes reaffirming his words.

"That's the same thing you said when you suggested to get into an abandoned city full of Fallen and we could successfully be able to find fuel for that ol' piece of history you're trying to raise from the dead." Cayde pointed to him walking away from the table.

"We almost lose 10 men…" Andal reproached.

"We found energy weapons and pulse munitions for the kinetics!" Cayde replied lightly, seeking complicity in the other two men.

"Carina nearly killed us for that." The voice of the black-haired man was already tired and incredulous, but he can't hide a slight smile.

Cayde watched him contemplatively for a few seconds, at least in appearance, and then turned to him, the same relaxed posture of a few minutes ago.

"She even said a thing when you suggested the idea, or after that! She was speechless!"

"Because she was mad…" Andal gestured a smile while Cayde gestured playfully about his answer. "And it was your idea. We make it possible… without the all ' _try not to play the hero_ ' thing."

"That hurts my feelings, bud…" Cayde added with a hand to his chest.

Then Andal, resigned, shook his head letting out a sigh while rubbing his hand across his face. His ghost, blue and black, appeared in a beam of light, moving restlessly and shaking its blades just as it examined the map.

"Look, worst case scenario, we have to postpone our travel a few days more, but whatever they're doing there, I don't think we'd let it pass," Cayde suggested now with his hands on his waist exchanging looks with the three of them. "That, of course, considering they're still in there for more than a few days. Which would mean that — _effectively_ —, they found something that _IS_ valuable not just for them, but for us too maybe…"

"What they could find anyway? Whatever it is, they're carrying it with them; I mean, we'd be stealing from them, not looting their prize." The young man who spoke first was restless, the almond-shaped eyes moved concerned for the development of the conversation, looking disturbed to those who were standing, but the most bewildering looks went to Andal trying to make his point.

"Even when you seem confused, I like your attitude and that's the whole idea of this conversation." Cayde pointed jokingly.

"No! I mean-! What I want to say is: _it is_ possible that it's a survey team looking for human traces in the area! _Our traces_! Knowing what happened a few days ago in the Red Desert, it doesn't seem crazy to me _at all_ that's possible there's nothing they're looting there but tracking down the team that screwed them up in that settlement!" The young boy shifted himself on the seat, uncomfortable and gesticulating nervously with his hands, making Cayde stir in the place and Andal aggravate his gestures about that option. "Don't you think that's a possibility? Will you risk us all just for looking if they're carrying whatever they think could be valuable?" He paused, looking the three of them. "We need to wait, maybe until tomorrow, or for a few more days. Maybe they won't be there, and we could keep our way without being caught."

"And what if that won't happen?"

His partner interrupted again in a harsh and tired tone, but slightly irritated. "What if they don't leave, Yamir?"

This young boy turned his look with concern to his companion, worried and thinking the words he didn't dare to speak aloud. "Would you look for another path to go through the mountains?" This man insisted. "In three months from now it'll be winter, and The Passage is the only way without having to look for another way through the mountains."

Yamir remained silent, meditating inwardly about these possibilities under the watchful eye of the others two. Lips clenched without knowing what to say.

Andal watched them and understood what that other boy, with blond tousled hair, was trying to mark. They didn't have much time to cross The Valley, and the path through the mountains would take months. It was what he was fearing, a force approach to make their way with an unknown result, or a risky one.

"You have guts, Brad." Cayde said, once again with crossed arms.

" _Brent_ , I already told you my name is Brent." He replied sighing as if the situation were commonplace between them.

"Whatever you say, pal. I never lose faith on you."

Cayde turned to Andal, brooding and examining the map once more.

"Our good friend here, _Brent_ , exposed to us something that's true, and doesn't have to like us to deal firsthand directly," He added. "We haven't much time, and we're low in almost _everything_ ," He clarify, capturing Andal's attention. "We're running out of time, and food, if I may add to the daring situation." His pupils shining and the voice module vibrating every time he made his voice take a more serious but resolved tone. "Carina will kill us first, or the hunger will do?"

Andal's features darkened as he contemplated all possible scenarios.

He turned to the map before giving a verdict.

He wanted to avoid it. He needed to find another way.

* * *

"Are you completely lost your _fucking_ _mind_?!"

Carina's voice, even with her tired tone, was shrill and filled the small space with a shout. She frowned in shock, causing the expression in her eyes lit.

"I suppose I lost the bet…" Brent muttered disappointed, hands inside his pockets and shrugging his shoulders against the back of his chair, feeling the look of rejection of Yamir who was sitting next to him; arms crossed, the only thing he did was to arch the bushy eyebrows with sarcasm.

"Never had a doubt that she'd kill us. You need to learn on what you bet your money, bud!" Cayde stated shrugging casually at the boy.

"Cayde!" The furious expression on the woman's face was there when he turned. "I'm being _death_ serious over here!" Carina yelled. "Organize an incursion in a possible hostile territory in the conditions we are _right now_?! Some aren't fully recovered from the last one and I'm still patching wounds! We're low on ammo and medicine!"

Then, she searched viciously among them for answers. "Who suggested this?!"

"I'm a dead man." Brent's ironic but nervous words were a raspy whisper disguised in his resigned expression.

Carina blinked before fix her gaze on him. "It was you, doesn't it!"

"I'm a penniless dead man." Brent added.

"Cayde may be reckless, but he doesn't do anything without backup," Carina's voice trembled with fury, hands on her waist pulling back the old cardigan with nervousness. "And no matter how much support he could have, having a purpose or don't have it at all, he'd never act knowing that he'd risk us all."

"Your words flatter me Doc but, except for the reckless thing you say, I was the one who suggested the idea-."

"DON'T-! Don't say another word!" Carina turned and pointed out angrily at him.

"Look, I may be reckless, but I can assure you Brent's plan could work. We just have to do a reconnaissance to be sure nothing fails." Cayde waved his hands as he addressed to her. "I'm not _that_ good at making plans, but the suggestion was mine in the first place. Don't be so hard on the boy! He's a smart kid!" He gestured towards him trying to relieve the tension, then approached with relaxed steps to pat his shoulder. "Well- maybe not so smart gambler but, it wasn't a bad observation looking for a way 'bout how to handle with problems if those scavengers decide to stay in the area; and better yet, we can keep their resources."

Carina only looked at Brent once; she didn't seem to want to even direct her attention to him. "Is that so? And what about _our_ resources?" She countered. "Every day that passed we have to ration even more than the day before, and the last time I was informed, _four shifts ago_ in the last 24 hours, ' _making plans'_ wasn't in _our_ plans, so to speak!"

"That's what we're talking about! We don't have any alternative but to be prepared, and that's what the good Brent here said, ' _We are running out of time, food and resources, and if we wait to cross the mountains like this, we're doomed.'_ " Cayde insisted turning to Carina and gesturing with one hand on the map and another at the waist, determined to make a point. She snorted frustrated crossing her arms still angry and twisting her mouth with annoyance. "I'm the impulsive one of this company, so I let the responsible guys in this room do the serious job to keep the problems away from us, because if it had been for me, I'd kicked those lazy asses and made the way for the ladies long ago."

Andal laughed up his sleeve, rubbing his face and trying to hide his smile knowing that Carina's temperament was terrible. But she noticed it.

"Oh, is this funny to you huh!"

Andal avert his sight shifting in place with resignation. "Ain't that. We're thinking about all the things you're saying we have against us."

"Oh really? It doesn't seem like that to me because if it was it so we wouldn't having this conversation in the first place!" She snarled harshly.

"Yes, of course we considered it. Why do you think we didn't talk about this before?"

Carina accentuated her anger and blinked incredulously, all her tense body expression turning to Andal. " _Excuse me_?"

He sighed uneasily. "I know I told you otherwise, but I have to admit that I overlooked the subject on propose before seeing that they didn't mean a threat at first hand…" Andal left the relaxed position on the wall where he was and straightened and walked next to Cayde.

"You _what_?!"

"Three days ago before the last incursion, I went beyond the perimeter near where they moved in the last hours, just in case we needed to move quickly through The Passage if that Devils squad we ambushed found us, and to my dislike, I found a scouting of Dregs surveying the area. After an hour or two they left, but I started to worry about because the first thing I came to my mind was they were tracking someone down: _us_." His voice was serious and at the same time his ghost manifested from his shoulder and projected what It looked like a hologram showing in chronological order the latest events on the map that had on the table, attracting the eyes of all but Carina. "When we returned, the first thing I did was to ask each squad that went out for patrol was to give me news about what was happening there because I knew that whatever could happen in the assault would put them on alert and they'd spread the news in every radio frequency they have. And during these last days, their presence was erratic, almost without organization. Until today…"

Carina's face was restless. "And pray to tell, did you planning to tell me this at some point or you wanted to keep it to you, avoiding to worrying me like a delicate flower?!" She accused.

Andal sighed, shaking his head and chewing his next words.

"Everyone here knows that's not true ..." It was heard in a funny tone at her side.

"Zip it, Cayde!" Carina didn't even take her eyes away of Andal. Her furious gaze was fixed on the man while his partner only mumbled shrugging and obeying the command.

"We were going to tell you, eventually. But we needed to be sure before assuming any possibility, or at least, before finding out what they're doing there." He explained.

"Then you think they aren't following our trail!" Still angry and anchored in her position, her eyebrows arched in sarcasm. "How long until they do!" She spat.

"That's the exact same thing I told them, but they don't even listen to me Mrs. Bright! It's _too risky_!" Yamir burst into the conversation with exasperation and shaking his hands.

"If I'm being calling to listen to this is because you kind of agreed with this, so you're not out of this madness…" Carina barely turned to look at him reproachfully. He sighed and thumped heavily on the back of the chair again, defeated.

"Carina, we're not overheading you to have a side operation behind your back. You're the one who runs this company and that's not gonna change," Andal explained with a much firmer statement, even though his voice was calm. "But, like I already said, we needed to be sure before move, and what Brent said and Cayde reaffirmed _it's real_ , even though it seems also risky to me: We're on the verge of a delicate situation, and crossing the mountains in these conditions is madness; waiting is out of the discussion. We must know what those beasts are doing there as well as to be sure that they won't follow us. We need to cross The Passage as soon as possible."

Carina glanced sideways at the man, her face full of worry, contemplating the situation while crossing her arms with an angry exhalation. She watched at moments the projection of Andal's ghost with the enemy movements on the map and took a moment to think. Heavens, how she hated to overthink things!

Still pondering the situation, she turned back at them, left hand to her chin and looking where the two boys were. She directed her attention to Brent in particular, bowed but attentive when he noticed her gaze nailing at his persona; a tense apprehensiveness in his features, but cautious heed for what she could say.

"This doesn't change things." It's all she said, making Brent to look back again down and remain silent.

"But it could…" Cayde counter back. Certainty read on his features when Carina gaze at him with tired but sharp eyes. "We just need to give it a shot." He added.

She sighed, letting her shoulders fell, shaking her head downcast and debating whether to continue the conversation or not. It was a fleeting silence. "This is _not_ the way we do things. It never was, and it won't ever be," She retorted, revealing the general exhaustion in her voice, and almost feeling her eyes growing hollow. "We don't need to start doing it like this now."

"We'll be ready." She heard Andal intervene. It was commitment everything she had found when she looked at him, deep black eyes staring at her and meaning his words.

Concealing a deep breath, everything went clear for her, but still there was caution.

"I want a status report of all patrols near to The Passage beginning within the next shift, and a recount of whatever is necessary for a possible assault. We will talk again in two days," She made a pause. "Then, we make plans."

She resumed mechanically before leaving, faltering to look at the two boys.

Andal nodded briefly without saying a word.

Brent, feeling a reassurance patting on his shoulder, had a knot in his throat.

* * *

"So... _ladies_ : last round. Are you feelin' lucky tonight?"

Joyce gave mocking glances to the two people in front of her, a woman and a man. The three of them sitting on logs around an old trunk they were using as a table, and an audience of several people around watching them play while laughing and rally them.

"Stop goofing around and roll the damn dice, J… Don't make me ask twice!" The woman reproached in an amusing tone, slim but muscular, bronze skin and small brown eyes glowing in soft intensity every time Joyce's eyes crossed with hers.

The blonde woman smirked at the sight of her, suggestive eyes glanced mischievously at his other partner as well, and finally sideways at Tulisse standing just beside her, expectant on how the game was unfolding, pressing her lips in a knowing smile.

Joyce snorted making her freckles dance with a grin then, all cockiness in her expression.

"The rookie here has witness that, _you_ , my fellow deadbeats, in the course of this evening owe me 4 cartridges of pulse munitions, a belt of energy grenades and an auto rifle," She tensed her words in a smug grin. "And in case you two had forgot, take two of my shifts in The Passage, while I enjoy my free night… _and_ because I'm feelin' all good and generous, I'll let you start with your homework from tomorrow night, how 'bout that?"

There were laughter and jokes among them while patting the gamblers shoulders as a way to encourage them.

"J, you don't have the numbers. I'm 10 points away from you and If I throw 5 dices with 6 on each side, I win; If Yara takes any combination, she may win, but… I'm sure she won't," The man remarked.

"Hey! Who say I'm not gonna kick both your asses, Darwin!" Yara teased. He smirked at her still in the game's mood, and then looked back at Joyce.

"You won't get 50 points so many times. It was just luck, J…" He retorted, strong complexion with broad shoulders with a radiant smile of confidence in his full lips, grinned shaking his shaved head and making his velvet voice rumble because of the low tone of his voice. "Roll those dices, friend. The next two nights I'll be in my tent counting my prizes, waiting for the opportunity to send a couple of Fallen asses into the afterlife with some of those bullets I'll get from you."

There was laughter again.

"Wow! Good friend Darwin here feels confident!" Joyce added with a wide smile, starting to shake the cup with the dices in it and causing the jolly spectators to quieten in whispers. "Will it last as long as he says?" She teased. And everyone held their breath.

With a quick movement, the cup landed on the piece of cloth that was display over the trunk, next to the screws and little pieces of round metal with which they used to make their bets on the game.

No one made a sound while the cracking rumor of the fire a few meters away was one of the few things that it was heard, and the gas lamp hanged on the beams of the walkway gave the spotlight where they were gathered around the improvised table.

Joyce and the other two gamblers looked at each other expectantly and still with a grimace on their faces, every one of them presumptuous of the concluding result.

The cup uncovered the five dices in a swift but skilled move. All gazes on them.

"Small Straight for Darwin; 15 points, with a total of 99…" Joyce made an appreciation nod and counted using a bunch of screws in a pouch on Darwin's counting on his side of the table. The crowd around them suppressed an applause, reassuring words and cheering pats on the man's shoulder as he nodded cocky and pleased at his lucky numbers whilst the girl introduced once again the dices in a fair movement with two of her fingers shaking briefly the cup and landing it at once without looking at anybody around her.

With a sharp smile on her face, the same motion on the cloth was witnessed and heard with a heavy thud. Her eyes reached the young woman on her left. She was grinning.

"Two Pairs; 14 points, Yara…" There was a muffled wheeze of surprise until the numbers were counted and banked on the girl's pile. "But you don't have enough to get the counting; You have just 98 points. You've lost, hun… so sorry!" Joyce joked, mimicking a sad face while some laughed and teased Yara, who bit her lower lip in defeat.

"I will ask for a rematch later, if you're OK with that…" Yara encountered with a cunning tone on her soft voice.

"All the way, gorgeous…" Joyce replied. The girl's nose twitched as she grinned.

And then, for the last time, she repeated the process with the whole attention on the motion of her hands, lifting the cup and with the savvy acknowledge that everyone was checking in on what was about to happen on the last roll dice.

Letting land the cup once again face down, she revealed the final counting.

"Sixes; 30 more points…" Joyce slipped; eyes lit and freckles adorning a wide smile while shrugging nonchalantly. "I guess you owe me, luvs!"

The laughter, words of disbelief and jokes encircled the crowd while some began to mind their own business and walk away. The rest remaining gave jokes of complicity between them, jesting on the losers.

"If anyone needs an extra coat, I could help you out with that! Guess I have a cloth or lil' blanket… It's cold out there, folks!" One of them teased, almost yelling.

"Shut up! Or I could use yours!" Darwin pointed still salty but smiling.

"Be a good loser, mate!" Another one quipped.

"One-o-one on the mat, J. Maybe that's his thing." One of the women in the group cheered.

"No way! I'd fathered y'all boys in a single round!" Joyce asserted with a grimace as she watched both her partners leave after the game and heard the other ones cackling; brief glances on her persona is what she noticed as Yara walked her way to the garrison next to the workshop. She just looked once with a hint of a smile.

"Don't stay to long with this gal, Tulisse. She'll lead you astray." Darwin added, smiling as he put a windbreaker jacket and hooded his shaved head with an old white _kufi_ and a worn black cape. The girl just smiled bemused by the situation; all the familiar interactions were foreign and amusing for her, but also kind.

"No-uh! For the record, she was already in bad company 'til I came up and snatched her from her host. I'd say, I rescued her before was too late!" Joyce gloated jesting whilst her partner was laughing.

"Hard to tell in that case!" Darwin's wide smile brighten his swarthy features while his gaze went to Tulisse. "Cayde's hopeless but a good fella! Just keep'im in check and do what you're doing, new girl! You got this!" He joked again before turning his back on both girls and walk away.

A smile drew on Tulisse's lips as she put a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Wow! Who'd say you'd have this pep talk from the Reverend himself this fast!" Joyce's voice got her attention. "But now he did mention it, there's nothin' you didn't already know indeed…" the blonde girl added smirking and winking in complicity as she turned to her.

Tulisse's smile grew wide into a tizzy as her cheeks blushed. "Why's that?"

Joyce stared at her just enough to raise her eyebrows and inquire slyly. "You think no one already know 'bout earlier?" Tulisse's reactions, shifting in place as her gaze wandered anxiously throughout the shelter gave her not just a known response to her but an acknowledging answer to the girl. "Oh, yeah… we heard all the buzz! You're quite a novelty here!" She added whilst putting away her playthings.

"It- it wasn't my intention to cause any problem…" Tulisse rapidly answered back with a timid voice. "I didn't know where I was, and I- I was scared…"

The blonde girl turned to her amused but a little surprised, checking her defensive stand as her hands went to her waist. "Sure thing the first you get from him that he's scary as shit. Not the kind of encounter you want to see when you first woke up in the morning and the most normal thing's to freak the hella out of it and want him to punchin' him right in the face… I mean, It freaked me out too first time." Tulisse froze, puzzled.

Joyce spied on her reactions, and trying poorly to disguise her seriousness, failing, and finally bursting into a cackle. "HAHA! Just kiddin' hun! Cayde's anything but an ass! He's a himbo! Could seems scary if you don't know him but that's a mile off to be truth", She joked approaching her. "If it helps for anything, we teased him about been nosy for a bit 'cause he was so annoyingly worried about you, and we jested him about what happened after, like 'boy, would'ya just left the poor gal alone? She already sent you go to take a hike!'"

Tulisse slipped a hint of a smile first, and then started to laugh, Joyce did the same. And then both girls burst into a contagious laughter while the sounds of her surrounding were indifferent to her talking; everything was bright and warm, and it felt easily natural as if the world was a whole with this.

Sighing relieved, her gaze surveyed Tulisse's slim but skinny figure toying with her sweater. She really did not looked like the wild girl her fellow comrades described tried to knock down Cayde not one but twice, almost accomplishing it at the second time, and still surprised for what she had been told the first time, it was striking realize that that same girl that she imagined could possibly beat a male, —a risen EXO male, nonetheless— was now before her, looking all flimsy and shy, and unnecessarily apologetic of her reactions.

All justified, all understandable. She could tell…

It was not necessary to know how or why a girl like that could react like that, even though in her condition. It was reasonable, it was natural. But it was terrible at the same time, and it was readable right now in all her body language.

It was not fair for her to things to be like this: 'Natural…'

It did not surprise her either why were the reasons behind Cayde's concern about her well-being. And that was fair, _human_.

 _Just_ , as all things should be.

"So… this is how we spend the night here, most of the time," Joyce resumed as she pried at her surroundings. "If you want, I could teach you the rules and a few tricks. It's quite simple when you catch the mood…" The blonde smiled at her crossing her arms.

"I have nothing to play with…" Tulisse muttered shyly, averting her gaze and wrapping her arms around her.

"No worries, luv! There's no need to have anything of value to play this. It's just for fun!" Joyce asserted. "Some of us started to play with nothing but a rusted weapon and a few things we had for trade in The Wilds, and since we're few we're playing with lil' pebbles or whatever we have at hand to try to not spend the night outside in the open, or just to have one more bullet and our cartridge that let us come back safe to home…"

There was an uneasiness that Joyce noticed after that been said; the girl standing in front of her shifted uncomfortably, understanding what, for her, was the only possible implication on what she could possible mean with her sayings. She immediately regretted saying that. "I mean, 'course there's nothing to worry about. We do this all the time, and nothing happened! We're bored to death and make jokes about take anyone's shift out there! So… is all good! Playing's safe…" Tulisse only response was to give her back a faint smile.

And just as she thought a few seconds after, the same conclusion came up again. _It was not fair._

"OK… y'know? Forget that! You could do anything else and I could teach you any other things in case betting ain't your thing! And… who knows? Maybe you want to prove your luck any other time. No need to rush on this!" Joyce said at last.

Tulisse looked her still troubled but willing to stay into the talking. "I don't even know if I'm good at anything…"

Joyce snorted amused but joyful. "Bullshit! Sure you're good at least, in one or two things and you don't even know it yet! Everyone here learnt to be useful on something 'til they found out they're good in their thing…"

"You think that…?"

There was a small glow on the girl face, and Joyce grasped on it to let the last few minutes being past sentence. "Totally! You'll be ready when you feel it! I can guarantee that…" She tried to distract her once more. Joyce approached and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders with assertiveness, Tulisse's expression transform from a startled response to a dumbfound looking, "I have to be ready for my shift, but when I get back in a few hours, you want me to teach you other things? Forget the bets! We could start with something else, maybe a little lesson that could be useful when you have to be out there, being one of us…" She gave her a little squeeze as Tulisse gray eyes, huge and bewildered, surveyed all her face with emotion and bashfulness.

"Like what…?" Tulisse murmured, still shy but curious as a sense of wonder surged before this woman's promises.

"A woman's worth is unquestionable if she's confident enough on herself and move forward rather than if she expects someone else's help. You have to gain your own worth for your own merits and only by yourself and by your own means." Joyce stated, smiling in an accomplice manner as her lips drew a cunning gesture and gave Tulisse another assurance squeezing on her shoulder.

"I am… worthy…?"

"You're worth of anything you want, luv!"

When Joyce turn to get ready, Tulisse's mind wandered. Her gaze looking down, chewing her lips and blushing as she turned her attention back to her right wrist and subtlety caress with her left thumb against the relief on her skin. A happy expression started to lit up her whole face once again with the hint of a memory in her eyes.

Then, a whistle caught her attention.

In the distance, one of the men who was around until minutes ago in the betting round was seen calling Joyce with his arms raised. With him, Andal was talking to other two who were unfamiliar. He seemed to have equip himself for a long walk and had a long rifle hung on his shoulder.

She payed attention on his demeanor. He looked calm but serious, habits that she was beginning to associate in him with things that are important. This time, she recalled a scene she just saw hours ago in that same cabin. _A pressing matter_ , just as it seemed before.

Although, as if her thoughts were chained seeking causes and consequences, she also remembered the last time she saw him act like this, and also came to her mind a slight conclusion that came to her too. Maybe this is what he was trying to talk about before, and he wanted to keep her away of further distress, just as Carina had been trying to do from the start.

But then, a sudden realization snap inside her, and she recalled as if it was moments ago when she first heard it. Carina's words before the little incident with the knife: 'she would need to join the crew, eventually'.

Why the need to keep her away then?

An idea passed through her mind, sliding fleetingly as a suggestion, unsettling as a stirring shadow.

It may be that they think she wasn't capable of doing it? To join them?

A sour taste filled her mouth. And doubt.

 _Why…?_

"OK, time to go to take a look around and get that bread, I suppose...", Joyce's voice cleared her thoughts as she turned her attention on her.

She turned to Tulisse once she got ready, putting on a black wool cap, a pair of gloves and a vest with several pockets on it. "See ya later hun. Carina will find you for sure. Stay with her." Added with a wink.

Tulisse answer back with a simple nod as she watched her go, taking an automatic weapon from a nearby working table on her way and putting it on its respective case on her right thigh.

As she sees her arrive with the rest of the group in the distance, she saw some of Joyce's companions extended to her another rifle like Andal's and hung onto her shoulder in the same way. With a greeting sign, she stopped in front of him, receiving what it appeared to be instructions.

Again, that fleeting suggestion passing through, and the seriousness of Andal seemed to catch in its clasps Joyce's assertiveness.

Standing in place, she followed the scene prying all her senses. Disquiet made her shift a little.

The cold of the night began to cling onto her, making her stir and hug herself to drive the chill away. Or so it seemed.

Suddenly, this sensation began to pierce into her bones and the spaces around her were beginning to feel unsafe.

As she become aware of her surroundings, she could see the camp starting to remain quiet, and where some were preparing to rest, the others seemed to pretend to spend the remaining night awake, or in guard duty inside the shelter.

Whispers and hushed proposals was she heard, sliding into her ears with a hiss.

When Tulisse noticed it, she dared to pry her sight. Just a little.

There were these folks… they seemed normal.

From time to time, they looked at her with some insistence, making motions as a welcoming gesture to hung out with them for a midnight talk, but with the fixation of examining her from head to toe in the solitude of the place.

A restless feeling climbed up from the pit of her gut. And the reaction, as natural for as breath, make her stay in motion avoiding eye contact as best as she could.

She started to walk with apprehension, eyes down, troubled. _Afraid_.

From one moment to another, the place become unfamiliar and intimidating, and as she walk forward looking up, sought after the security of that company in the distance again, there was this trail of light around them that draw her near for a place of safety.

Then, she saw _him_.

Cayde was leaving the same cabin where she had seen him enter a few hours ago with Andal. Making some comments to the two young boys in there who seemed to share the same seriousness as the rest of the group that was getting ready to leave, he looked unruffled. Carefree and with attention in Andal, Joyce and the others who started the march, he examined his equipment before following them totally absorbed and in his own routine.

Tulisse paralyzed.

He was leaving.

That feeling of moments ago was now twisting her insides. She resumed her pace towards them, first with doubtful steps, then, little by little, quickening. She could feel her body betrayed her and at every step, her feet failing her. She was trembling.

She watched the whole group get into the darkness of the night, until their silhouettes could be barely distinguished. Everything she knew was suddenly moving away, and everything around her now began to become threatening.

She managed to almost sprint near the entrance, trembling and with a knot in her throat. They were now reaching the line of the trees, and it could be seen their silhouettes in the shade several meters down the road into the forest.

She took a tentative step forward to follow them.

A burning blurted from her insides with an anguish feeling.

She wanted to call them. Call _him_.

Before her throat let her say his name out loud, she saw him.

He turned around, as if he knew it. Sense her.

She had the certainty of seeing the glow of his eyes piercing the black of the night to search her.

Tulisse was now standing on the concrete crag of the entrance. Still, but expectant.

Her silhouette contrasted against the flimsy artificial light of a lamp in the cabin where they kept part of the equipment and the brightness of a nearby fire.

She hesitated to raise her hand, still feeling her heart skipping and a knot imprisoning her voice. She knew that he could see her, she just knew. She could feel it.

Staying there and staring at the distance, hand raised as a parting gesture, a smile greeted his response. Human eyes may not be prepared to see through in the dark, but his presence in the distance was for her a beacon that she could easily see. He returned the gesture from afar, staying a moment behind from the rest before return to keep his companions' pace.

It was just a moment. Just brief as lasting it could be.

Then, she saw him disappear, back into the thick vegetation and the blackness of the night.

Hollowness struck her chest as she embraced herself, trying to contain the anguished emotion of feeling abandoned in an unknown place.

Staying there, enduring the cold of the night and wanting to escape to him, she stood.

"Dear...?"

A gentle voice startled her from behind.

Carina walked towards her wrapped in a thick wool blanket, somewhat surprised to see her standing there, but concern. "Everything all right…?" She insisted.

Tulisse concealed her nervousness trying to smile, blinking uneasily at times and looking back at the forest as if an inexplicable need forced her. She nodded then, responding in some way to that question and trying not to say a word because of the feel that the slightest sound could blurt out her anguish and betray her.

Carina look to where she looked and shifted intrigued. "Is it really all right…?" The woman insisted.

"Where did they go?" She hurriedly asked, her voice trembling.

Carina felt silent, seeing the watery eyes of the girl scrutinized her.

A sympathetic smile appeared on her face as she spread another thick blanket over Tulisse shoulders, grasping the young woman in warm embrace.

"They will return," Carina assure squeezing her gently in her arms as she rubbed the girl's arms to get the coldness away. She looked outward again, sighing. "They always do."

Tulisse looked back at her with a tearful expression as the chilling night breeze blew. She could feel her face tight and burn, and for the last time, she looked out again before walking away from the entrance to inside the shelter with Carina.

She let herself be guided to the medical tent feeling that this huge place was now unknown to her, and unreliable. And before go inside along with the woman who tried to convince her that tomorrow would be another day, she did not want to lose sight of the horizon.

* * *

 **Author's Note :**

 _Well, first things first: I need to give you a sincere apology!_

 _It was almost a year since I updated this. UGH! Even me feels sorry about left this inconclusive so much time. Seriously guys, I am sorry!_

 _2019 was a year a little ... complicated, in short, and it seems that 2020 will be too but, well… it just started, so I don't know how expect._

 _I was totally trapped between Destiny, my work and resting as much as possible because, really, it was a very tumultuous year._

 _But, because I don't like to just complain about it, and it's something that I'm learning not to do so often, because otherwise it'd be the only energy in which I'd tune in, it was good to be able to connect with people again. That's the good thing about 2019._

 _I'm not very good at interacting with people, and I can say that it helped me to have a little more confidence in my skills and in the things I can achieve._

 _But it wasn't easy._

 _I guess that's the challenge of living. Set goals and overcome them…_

 _Coming back to the fic, I'm ... quite delayed, haha! Yeah, I know I'm supposed to at least have the draft completed and only edit it, but not._

 _I'm having a little trouble closing the first arc. If possible, I will try to correct it without the need to re-edit what is already published, it would be a nightmare if it so. But if I want to have something coherent, and I think because of how it is now sketched, it's not. So I'll try hard to squish my mind to do it correctly._

 _So, I don't want to promise something that I don't know if I'm going to be able to accomplish it due work (and Destiny, of course), but, as I said before, it's all about setting goals and overcoming them, I'm going to try to overcome this catastrophe and update at a more ... consistent rate, HAHA !_

 _I hope you are all well and enjoy this chapter!_

 _I know it's not revealing, but Tulisse needs to get in tune with the group. Will they let her?_


	6. Chapter 6

_The nightmares became more violent that night._

 _The sensation of her skin being burn and torn joined the bawling screams, haunting her without being able to comprehend what the images presented to her. Tortured faces full of fear, confused among the shadows of a crowded and dimly lit place, the abusive shouts of other men and blows, and finally, again, the rattle of chains crawling across the floor._

 _Once again, the noises around her were confusing with that inhuman shriek howling in the shadows with the haunting presence of a specter, mixing with someone's repulsive exhalation creeping in her trembling form. She heard herself cry, without a chance to put a stop to the things that were happening around her, neither being able to escape submission._

 _The howls became more deafening and aggressive, and when she looked up letting the light reveal the horror itself, a beast came before her. The origin of all her fears._

* * *

She woke up horrified, bathed in her own sweat, disturbed and feeling the tears running down her cheeks. Looking frighteningly at her surroundings, she recognized in the dim light that slipped through the spaces of the tent what it seemed to be the only place she could consider safe.

She swallowed and felt her throat burning as trying to calm the accelerated pulse and the growing despair. Sitting down in her cot, she rubbed her cheeks with both palms and curled up wrapping the blanket around her, bringing her legs to her chest while every sound that was heard in the silence of the night, inside or outside the tent, was a dreading menace lurking to hunt her.

Carina's snoring startled her for a second, as she realized she was soundly sleeping in the other cot, and after a while trying to regain her calmness, she unwrapped herself from the blanket and stood before walking, feeling chills from the remnants of her sweat and the contact of her bare feet on the cold ground. She approached where the woman was, trying to wake her up with a slight shaking, only to receive muttered slurs in dreams and frowning as the woman embraced herself even more and gave her back to the sleepless girl.

Tulisse insisted once again with no more pressing urgency, and when she got no answer, she stood again and unfollowed her steps, dejected and feeling the weight of her own uneasiness as she went back to hid herself again under the covers.

With the blanket over her head, even not minding the slight discomfort from the wound under the bandage twinging in her skull from time to time, in the middle of the darkness, she listened to each and every noise, and watched to every corner from a slit of her wool armor.

The echoes of faint voices and laughter and a light batter outside the tent shook her, and in the midst of her anxiety, the nightmares came to her mind as if they were mixed with reality.

She had the feeling that time didn't pass anymore, and every time trying to fall asleep, the terror of something appearing from the shadows and assaulting her became dangerously real with each sounds that were heard rumbling in every corner of the huge shelter.

Twice she tried to keep her eyes closed and calm down, those same times something kept her awake in the verge of a breakdown.

She could start to feel her eyes burning, begging to fall asleep, but she didn't want to give in to, because it was the fear what it didn't let her.

When finally the sound of her own breathing began to terrify her, she stepped out of the blankets once more in a jump, looking for her boots and putting it on without even noticing in tying the laces, and wrapping herself in the heavy blanket, she approached with cautious steps to the entrance and peeked out.

She looked first at the fires, there were two or three people talking and laughing while they seemed to occasionally run a bottle between them and take some sips. The murmurs and sounds she hear were so similar to those who haunted her in dreams, distressing her and making her stomach revolt.

It was like reliving one of her nightmares.

The isolation and fear letting her know that there was nothing that could give her safety to leave this place, made her wish that the wool blanket she had on her shoulders become an invisible layer that could hide her away. She felt that lump in her throat again, and the dreading feeling began to climb up her back, spying again for the umpteenth time all the movements outside.

And again, her attention went outward. Beyond, into the darkness of the night.

She tried to drown those fears, desperately longing for the past moments that seemed so distant, like years; remembering the laughter, the camaraderie, the games. The nearness that was foreign to her and even frightening, but at the same time, intriguing, mysterious as the only thing that she could discern from fear as her sole refuge. The smile of complicity, the relief of foreign contact on her skin. The intimacy of a silence.

She breathed out, enduring the sadness and feeling the burning in her nose, anticipating the cry, and as if it were a gentle murmur in the back of her mind, Joyce's voice seemed to give meaning to her thoughts.

Adjusting the blanket on her shoulders, she left the tent with small steps and began to walk towards the huge entrance, spying fearfully where the rest of the tents were, and where the group of men gathered around that fire.

She walked past several tents where, at times, she could hear the snoring from the rest of the camp. Halfway, before reaching the entrance, the voices of those men a few meters to their right went quieter until turn into whispers, realizing that they were trying to hush the topic of conversation because something else had catch their attention.

She did not want to look back, even though she instinctively needed to verify that it wasn't her the object of their total interest.

All the sudden, one of them started to calling out to her, and other whistle to her with insistence.

She paced up, spying through the corner of her eye with fear, her pulse pounding whilst she could feel them watching on her, lurking on the distance.

A sense of dreading reminiscence reappeared making her tremble. Her whole body wanted to paralyze.

As if it was dreaming again…

There were a few more whistling with little to no insistence, until laughter diverted their attention to their own business. She hurried her steps, and when she approached the entrance, other voices from inside the cabin caught her attention.

There was a conversation between two other people, two young men. They seemed to laugh and have small talk, and at times remain silent at the scratchy sound of a signal.

The cabin had a small elevation and a window where it was possible to spy through the stained glass blurred by dust and time. She tiptoed just enough to look inside, only noticing the scruffy blonde hair of one of them, desisting when began to fear they could catch her.

Then, she walked away, passing under the oil lamp in the entrance and the bonfire the was outside the shelter, and when she reached the edge of the concrete boulder, appreciating the fall that was relatively deep, she stood, watching the emptiness of the pitch-dark night.

To her left, spying on the path where she knew the scouting had walked heading to the forest, she was watching over the road; that same road where she saw him dive into the forestry after wave a hand from the distance.

After leaving her there, _alone_.

Taking a long exhalation, the cold air of the night filled up her lungs. And the isolation froze her from the inside. Lost and longing, just enough to imagine that in any time they could go back. That he was going to go back.

So then she sat there, just away enough from the edge, legs crossed, wrapped in the heavy blanket.

Coldness clang onto her, grasping like claws and trying to pierce the wool to reach her skin like one of her horrifying dreams. Shivers pressing to take control of all her moves, as well as paralyzing her, and strip her of her will and hopes.

None of it mattered. Her feelings where somewhere else.

She was going to wait.

* * *

Minutes passed, or so that's what it seemed.

Sitting on the icy floor, it looked like the minutes were hours.

She shifted several times, trying to put the blanket in a certain way so she would not be sitting directly on the chilly stone.

Time passed, and no matter how much she tried to settled down, moved her feet or rubbed her hands feverishly against her legs, the coldness did not went away. She kept shuddering.

Even so, she was going to wait.

* * *

She shook her legs again; her body was quivering like a leaf in the cold. Her entire body was wrapped with the blanket letting only her eyes free to watch over from the cocoon. Feeling the numbness taking her body, she brought her legs against her chest, uncrossing her position with her arms wrapping and occasionally rubbing them, and waited.

* * *

She shook away the coldness once again. The gaze fixed in the line of the trees before her, towards the darkness; to where the glow of the lamp or the campfires behind her were not capable of kept the shade away.

And before she could realize it, her eyes betray her. Eyestrain came traitorous and inviting as a deceitful promise of a placid dream.

* * *

Then, something happened. It seemed to her that something moved. She fought against the drowsiness.

First, it was a faint sensation, like a sway. And after a moment, a pressure that come with it.

"Hey..."

There was a whisper.

She fret, and with a startled and her heart in her mouth, the cocoon she had made around her fell apart.

Looking at her left side, standing with incredulous but weary face, there was a young man, who barely moved away and straight himself up from her when he saw her react, looking intrigued but no less worried to find her there.

"You OK…?" His surprised but worried voice sounded scratchy as he watched her. Tulisse leaned to the side still bothered, trying to move away. "What are you doing sleeping here? Are you mad? You'll get sick!"

Even with his tired raspy voice and the gloom of the night, this boy's dismay could be seen written all over his face, leaving him also speechless.

She composed herself, wary as it seemed that the young man did not finish to question her reasons to be outside in the cold.

"I'm fine. Thank you," Is all she answered, looking sideways as she hid herself again under the cover, sneaking a peek at him with suspicious eyes. "I couldn't sleep," She added later, seeing that the first response did not seem to make him go away.

This young man, stood up, still shocked and skeptical as he wrinkled his nose in surprise and blinked. "Aha, and sleeping here is better, right...?" He sneered, letting himself be heard as apathetic as it sounded, and the words escaped unemotional from his mouth.

Tulisse looked at him sideways a few more times, her gaze filled with distrust and irritation, demonstrating that his presence was inopportune, hoping that if she saw him like this it could made this guy simply leave her alone.

He, still baffled, moved in place while glancing inside the camp, shrugging his shoulders and gesturing with his hands in disbelief after a few minutes, with looks of rejection and disdain on his part to the girl who was reluctant to leave her stubbornness.

She turned her eyes toward the night, tense as she watched the boy's movements from the corner of her eyes.

"Look, it's freezing. Why don't you wait inside?" His voice was now demanding apathetically but concerned. It seemed he realized the why of things.

"I said I'm fine. I'll wait here." Tulisse retorted harshly. All her body went like a stone.

The boy looked to be even more shocked and shrugged again. "OK, miss, did you really hit that hard your head?"

Tulisse turned her gaze to him, contemptuously. "I said I'll wait here."

"You crazy?!" He pitched into her with incredulity. "Why all the women in this camp are crazy?!" Then added waving his arms, flabbergasted.

"I'm not crazy, and I won't go inside. Leave me alone." Tulisse warned, raising her voice.

The boy raised his eyebrows, stunned by her rudeness and depth of her voice and gestured back.

"OK. I didn't mean to bother you, but if Carina finds out I let you stay here to freeze to death, she'll kill me. And I already lost a bet trying to find out what could wipe my ass out to oblivion, so…", He grumbled in a tone that could hardly be interpreted as offended. The girl looked unamused. "Look! Without counting on Cayde wanting to play cat and mouse for the love of everything I dear the most and Jocelyn breaking all my bones, I'll appreciate if you at least pay attention when someone is talking to you, OK? It's just awfully rude…"

At the hearing of his name, she turned.

"Man… why is everyone here crazy…?" His arms fell in resignation at the same time as he seemed to contemplate his entire existence.

"He would do something like that…?"

The worried voice of Tulisse was heard.

The boy turned to her oddly, wrinkling his nose confused. "Would he really do something like that?" She insisted.

"Who…?" He quizzed.

"Cayde…"

"WHO?" He chimed in disbelief, confusing the young woman.

"Are you trying to say hello or something…?" She asked perplexed.

"WHAT?"

"You're screaming…" Tulisse retorted. "Screaming and squalling, like Cayde said men usually say _hello_."

The boy blinked, perplexed. "Oh, you really hit your head that hard..."

"I am _not_ stupid!" She countered back with a certain tort in her voice, before looking back at the night, vexed.

"Well, no stupid but stunned enough to realize that I'm talking about Joyce doing something like that, Cayde would bet that she'll break all of my bones." Tulisse accentuated her eyes in a skeptical gesture, narrowing her eyes at him.

Grunting to clarify the situation, the boy added shaking his head, resigned and sighing. "Cayde… could possibly do something like that though. All he needs it's just a little push... that's all… a _motif…_ "

She pondered just a little, watching the boy trying to read her reactions. Then, she couldn't help but drawing a smirk on her face at the looks of the poor guy before her.

"OK, I'm not picking what you're thinking is funny but seriously though, I appreciate my physical integrity. Can we go inside…? It's really freezing…" He insisted, laziness in his tone but with some urgency.

Smiling at the expression of misfortune on the poor boy's face; the ruffled hair coupled with the weariness of his voice, caused her sympathy. She stood up slowly as she watched him take a few steps back to give her space, and when he was sure that she would follow him, he headed inside the shelter again, watching her over at times.

Feeling numbness in her legs since it was apparently there for a long time, it took her a few moments to gain strength until the circulation returned.

Before continuing, she turned her eyes again to the distance, just hoping. And when realizing the expectation of that poor boy in her neck, summed up the pace.

With hesitant steps and still distrustful to see the privacy of the place where that boy was going, she followed him to the entrance of the cabin which she had spied on some time ago. There were small steps at the door, and some noisy machines further back from which several cables crept through a small rear window inside the place. It was a small space, a table with a rolled map, two metal bottles and the confused face of another younger boy who noticed the intrusion as he turned to them, putting something down of his head that she identified as a tool of the transmitting device in front of him. She observed him, seeing some similarity to Andal's appearances, but younger and thinner.

"What's she doing here?" This young man asked, shocked, his voice letting slip a thick accent waving in high and low tones of concern.

"What…?" The blonde one asked, faking uncertainty.

" _She_ , Brent! She can't be here!" This young man pointed out, literally.

This bulky tall man, Brent, shrugged, and giving just one look to the girl and then look back to the younger man on the other side of the cabin, grunting.

"I'm Tulisse. I'm not a she…" It was her response with obvious upset. The black-haired boy arched his bushy eyebrows, surprised.

"What? Do I let her freeze outside so Carina yell at me again? Or worse?" This tall boy who escorted her inside countered back while walking to the table to take a cup on the top of the one of the canteens. "And watch it. She's kind a mouthy…" it sneaked to his partner. Tulisse heard it.

"Bringing her in on comms wasn't a good idea! You know rookies can't be here! Carina will yell to you anyway! I am yelling to you right now!" This boy responded, still upset.

"Dude, she was outside in the open! I can take my chances on being call out if you just stop complaining and listen to me! What it was supposed to do?" Brent added.

There was a series of exchanges in the argument, either weary and firm between the two boys, and standing behind and feeling the need to intervene to help him, she spoke.

"He doesn't want to lose a bet!" Tulisse interjected shyly, clinging onto the edges of the blanket that covered her, and gaining the interest of both young men, just enough to notice that one was more irritated than the other for her words. "He said ... they were going to bet on his broken bones if I didn't come inside with him."

They both looked at her for a few seconds before exchanging glances. "Could you stop betting, please?" The boy on the comms spat with little to no patience, frowning.

"I swear this time I didn't bet anything!" Brent whined, baffled.

"Then why she said you do it?" The boy counter back waving his hands heatedly.

"Don't yell him! He said that they would only need one reason to make the bet if I didn't come with him!" Tulisse intervened again, wary and anxious trying to speak up in his favor, getting baffled looks from both, more from the younger. "He said, 'Cayde only needs one reason to bet Joyce will break all my bones.'" She explained uneven as she clung more to the blanket.

The black-haired boy turned with sarcastic look towards his partner crossing his arms. "That's not betting. That's facts." Brent justified.

"Could you _please_ stop betting your ass?" He asked in a low but anxious tone.

"Why would I bet my ass?!"

"She said you bet your ass on this." The young boy accused.

"Because she'd be the cause of the bet!" Excused Brent.

"I didn't cause anything! Why would I do something like that?" Tulisse countered upset.

"Why indeed…" Reproached the younger, but to his partner.

"Look, I'm just saying that what it'd happen it'd be because of her!"

"Betting at the expenses of someone else…?" The young one quizzed.

"Exposing the gambling issue on this camp that uses me as a whipping boy for betting, is _not_ betting!" Brent defended himself as a matter-of-factly and raising his voice.

"Telling me that this girl is an excuse to cover up your own gambling problems is wanting your butt kicked for free." The boy concluded trying to return to his work.

Then, the sound of an incoming transmission startled them all.

" _Hey Tulisse! Welcome to the Wheel of Fortune! You both just won a bet exposing Brent's gambler denial, who at the same time lost the bet by not recognizing a bet when it has it in front of him._ " A smug female voice was heard through the device.

The blond pounced on the radio transmitter, sticking the microphone of his headphones on his head and pressing the audio output. "What?! I didn't do any bet! This is out of context!" He complained, making the weariness of his voice a pitiful regret. There was a brief silence.

" _Stop taking unnecessary risks, Brent. 'Cause it's getting me itchy..._ " Another voice was heard. Masculine, joker and relaxed.

Tulisse couldn't hide her smile when she recognized him.

"Stop betting my ass! None of us here made any bet!" Brent complained again.

" _She taking the odds on who kick your ass first? Hmmm… I'd say she bet and know what'd happen, and also, that she knows how to play…_ " The canny female voice responded with a laugh.

"No, she didn't! Shut up, Jocelyn!" Brent resumed by canceling his microphone. "You did this on purpose!" He accused to Yamir.

"Stop whining! I just forgot to turn off the mic when you come in," This young boy spluttered, paying little attention to Brent and putting the headphones and turning to the transmitter annoyed while Joyce was still heard laughing. "Stop using the channel for this during the night watch! Be serious guys!"

" _Oh, but you can't tell the situation didn't turn the odds in your favor, Yamie!_ " Joyce sounded suggestive on the radio.

"No, I don't think so…" He stopped as Brent approached the table, muttering and pouring something hot from the container to his cup. "What I won…?" Yamir was heard curious, making Brent call him out from behind, waving his arms indignantly.

Tulisse giggled softly at the situation, covering her mouth, still trying to understand the dynamics of the talk while her cheeks blushed. She walked to where Yamir was, startling him by her proximity.

She was happy. And suddenly, the cold went away.

There was again a brief silence, until the creaking sound of the transmission came back.

" _The next bet ..._ " Cayde's voice was solemn and intriguing. Tulisse looked back at Yamir with her eyes lit at the hearing of his voice on the radio transmitter. The boy narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her response, like it was something else going on.

"That's not a prize. It's betting again." Yamir reproached smiling by turning his attention to the radio, shaking his head.

" _You won't take it then?_ " Cayde was heard confident.

"Not against you, Cayde. I know who to play with." Yamir stated untroubled.

" _Doesn't it even intrigue you?_ " He challenged naughtily.

There was a silence while Yamir stirred suspiciously and laughed. "Nope. No by any chance." He finally replied.

There was another silence before the radio crackled again.

" _How 'bout you, Tulisse?_ "

She shocked, causing Yamir's eyes to narrow while turning to her, Brent approached holding his cup with something hot inside, his eyes wide open sharing surprised glances to both his partner and the girl.

" _Would you take the bet?_ " He asked again but with more complicity.

Tulisse's heart was pounding against her chest.

Exchanging glances with Yamir and later surprised to notice Brent's thick bearing beside her, she looked both seemed somewhat anxious about the sudden turn of events, and while the silence reigned, she became impatient at not knowing how to respond. Why he would offered her something like this?

It was a challenge? A welcoming ritual? A dare?

A way to be with her?

Clumsily but quickly, Yamir extended his headphones with a hint of a smile, adjusting it carefully over her head and muttering that she should speak loudly and clearly.

When the boy turned on the signal, she hesitated to speak. "Why me…?" Tulisse asked shyly and making the tone of her voice tremble.

" _You were the one who catch the bet firsthand and take the odds; Yamir just cowered,_ " He explained nonchalantly as the boy shook his head baffled. " _Would you take it…?_ " He insisted after in a more personal voice.

Tulisse clenched her lips with a smile and watched Yamir sideways. He just shook his head hiding a slight grin, diverting his attention something else.

Still eager to hear him again and wanting to give him a response, she could not help but keep smiling. "What it is about?" She finally asked.

There was another silence after the static let her hear his voice again.

" _You must fall asleep._ "

The two boys looked at each other, and Tulisse narrowed her eyes, puzzled.

" _Those two with you have to kept you from falling asleep to win; and if you do, you win the bet,_ " Cayde explained. " _If any of them fall asleep first, and you are still awake, you lose._ "

"What kind of creepy play off the wall is this?" Brent snapped opening his microphone.

" _Huh-uh-uh! This's just a play for gutsy dudes! No sneaky deed intended. Yamir wins if you fall asleep before Tulisse! And they win if you fall asleep first! Fair's fair,_ " Cayde explained. " _What's wrong with you man? Ain't doble-handed on this! Relax big guy...! We're just… playing!_ " Then added mockingly.

"Then there's no way I win! How's a bet if I'm not on it!" The blonde complained.

" _Then make a counteroffer. You can bet on that!_ " Joyce was provocatively heard again. " _Or is it you're shy to lose this time or something?_ " Tulisse laughed while Yamir shook his head, smirking.

"You psycho lil' pricks!" Brent accused with a shout.

" _Wow! Reverend, Reverend!_ " Joyce as well as Cayde were heard on the line, while, out of nowhere, other voices intervened on the channel, accusing the same word while Yamir couldn't help sniggering. Tulisse just watched them and listened to the whole situation, feeling somewhat bewildered, but at the same time entertaining. Her whole heart was blooming in a warm sensation once again.

" _We gathered here! Oh, solemn witnesses to this deal, we pronounce thee! The bet is made, the die is cast; Thus, who don't play obtain no gain; and if it's the deal you're tied in…_ " Darwin's low and velvety voice appeared in the middle of the transmission reciting solemnly.

" _There's no swearing you say in vain!_ " It was heard at the end for all participants, even Yamir muttered the last words gesturing an applause and still giggling.

"OK, OK! I know, I know! I'm sorry! No swearing! I forgot it! No need to be melodramatic! Cool huh! OK! Here we go…" Brent looked frustrated. He meditated running his hand through his messy hair and wiping his lips nervously with the back of his hand. " _If_ I manage to keep Tulisse awake but Yamir falls asleep, my counteroffer is that _he_ should be the only one to keep her from sleeping," He stated, like squeezing his thought to keep track of his sayings. "If he can't keep her from falling dead tired, but I fall asleep before him, even so, I win. I think Yamir can make the counteroffer after that! Huh, pal?"

" _Which is…?_ " Joyce queried.

There was another pause while Yamir, shaking his head but entertained by the whole situation took the headphone from the young woman's head gently and adjusted it to his needs while opening the microphone.

"Brent has to get me to sleep before Tulisse." He said confidently.

"WHAT?!" Brent exclaimed in dismay.

There were laughs on the radio channels. Tulisse smiled as she watched the bulky boy rubbing his hands frustratedly over his face and sputtering.

" _And you, Tulisse?_ " Again, Cayde's voice sounded full of complicity. " _There's anything you want to add?_ "

Both young men turned to her, one more interested than the other in the outcome, being one of them, Brent, the most distressed. Yamir, now with a sly grin on his lips returned the headphone with the microphone open.

She bit her lower lip while thinking in her answer, feeling the expectation on the other side of the transmission, and eager to give it to him. There was an exhilaration raising from her insides, making her quiver from the anticipation to reach the conclusion of this.

Hoping, with all her might what she most wanted.

"They have to keep me awake until the end of the watch."

There was laughter between all of them, on the cabin and out there, on the radio transmission. Yamir keep laughing while all was Brent doing is rub his hand against his forehead thinking on the night he had ahead.

Tulisse, however, remained expectant holding her breath. The ear sharp on the transmission, waiting for his response.

" _Until dawn then…?_ " It was heard.

"Until dawn…" She echoed in a shy murmur.

Then Darwin's low voice intervened on the channel. " _Then the bet is set!_ " He claimed. There were a couple more exchanges, encouraging words and jesting on the two parts; just the usual drill on a gambit between the crew. And after the minutes passed, the transmissions returned to their usual routine.

Tulisse returned Yamir the hearing device before nestling again in the blanket on her shoulders, and smile. Her cheeks were aching with joy.

She watched the two boys exchange a couple of words in a slight accusing tone, Brent just being the most worried human being while he had the container and poured more hot drink in his cup.

Then, she turned to the radio again before approaching the table where the other two young men sat leaving a free seat for her, and then took a brief look into the darkness of the night.

Until dawn.


	7. Chapter 7

"Are you fucking kidding me?! There's no way it's been just an hour!"

Brent shook annoyingly his hair between his fingers, grunting and looking everywhere while sitting at the table, dropping both hands as he swayed on the back of the chair using his large leg. "I can't believe he suggested this."

"I can't believe _you_ keep doing these things," Yamir, finishing a new round on comms with one of the squads, turned to him in a scathing tone. He stood up and returned to the table, sitting with both hands around the now empty cup. "And let me tell you that if we intend to keep her awake, drinking coffee from now on is a terrible idea." He added taking the cup and swinging it by the handle.

Brent stared back at him, "What do you mean? Why it is a 'bad idea'?"

Yamir dropped his shoulders with a sigh of resignation. "Coffee can help to keep you awake for an hour, maybe two, but eventually the effect will go away."

The next moment, they both heard a cup being drag on the table, away from its owner. They looked intrigued at the young woman who with a reluctant expression, shifted inside the blanket that she still had on her shoulders.

"I don't like it anyway. It tastes bad." Her voice was a shy murmur.

"That's because we don't have sugar. If it wasn't over a few days ago, you wouldn't say that." Brent objected condescendingly.

"I don't like it, and I won't take it," Tulisse replied defiant. Brent just scoffed.

"It's not that it tastes better with sugar, Brent. Your coffee… is kind of shitty," Yamir refuted, making faces.

"Coffee's my treasure, and I will spare it as much as I want!" said the blond, waving his finger as a warn.

"That's why you're the only one who drinks it, when you do it, at least." Yamir added smiling, his accent slipping on his words.

"Oh yeah? Shut up! You know what? If it's because of my shitty coffee, now you mention it, today I can afford to make it stronger as long as you lose the bet!" Brent waved his finger on him in his firmer but tiring tone.

"There's no chance you can make me sleep. I'm who always stays up at night and ends waking you up for the next round or before someone notices it!" Yamir retorted.

"Not tonight," Brent said, crossing his arms and confident of himself. "Tonight, I'm going to make those two bite the dust."

Yamir let out a sneer. "See, Tulisse? This is what Cayde mean when he says Brent doesn't know how to bet." He smiled, crossing his arms and exchanging glances with her.

"For giving him _a motif_ …?" She implied, arching her eyebrows in a mocking gesture while getting comfortable in the blanket. Yamir replied with a nod, smirking.

"On top of that, because he never knows with who not place a bet," He explained. "Never give anyone reason to place bets, especially Cayde." He added. Tulisse smiled and hid her gaze away, blushing.

"You know, this wouldn't have happened if you had closed the mic. And for you to know, she's the one who gave him reasons to bet, not me," Brent said, pointing slightly at her and pouring more coffee on his cup.

"Stop saying it's my fault! I was trying to defend you!" She reproached, raising her voice.

"Technically, it could be her fault, but the one who suggested they would bet against you, it was you." Yamir said, still mocking him.

"I never made that bet! They did it! And I'd have never knew it if weren't because of her, and you keeping the mic open!" Brent blamed.

"But _you_ gave him reasons..." Tulisse muttered still upset and wrapping herself even more on the blanket.

"But you accepted the bet later!" Brent alleged sardonically.

"No, I didn't it! Stop it!" The girl spat.

"Well, that's the only thing Brent is right, Tulisse." Yamir intervened narrowing his eyes.

"Thank you!" Brent bellowed, banging his hands on the table before getting up with the container to one of the cabinets and open one of its doors, still muttering angrily.

"But you said it wasn't me who started all this!" Her voice began to tremble as she defended herself heatedly.

"Yeah…well, it's simple though: you suggested the possibility that Joyce would kick his ass, therefore, Cayde," Yamir explained. "And when the whole thing was set to place the bet, then you accepted for me!"

Tulisse shake her head in denial, visibly upset. "That's not true! I just repeated his words!" She accused pointing at Brent, who sat again on the table and was taking by surprise.

"Sometimes I'm not surprised why they use me for betting; They reify me, like if I was one of those screws they use for playing, in a stash full of useless things, like a taps… or just more screws with no use. I'm just so wasted... and tired… am I that meaningless?" Brent muttered, making his tired voice sound pitiful but still, there was sarcasm on it as he pulled coffee beans from a bag in a rustic coffee pot.

"No, you exaggerated dope! But you can't expect they found no reason to do this if you give them the chance!" Yamir rolled his eyes, as his frustration exposed his accent.

"Well then it's not my fault to point the obvious, neither if you're not being quick enough to see what's happening right under your nose!" Tulisse blurted out now with her feet on the chair and wrapping herself even more in the blanket. Yamir once more, puzzled for her exchanges, couldn't help but guffawing before seeing Brent's stunned expression as he turned dramatically to see the girl.

"Now I understand why they included her in the bet! She has the guts!" Yamir pointed humorously.

"Stop it! I never wanted this to happen. I don't know how to play, and I don't want to." She explained herself still offended and looking at them sideways, barely stirring in place with her forearms on her knees. They both looked surprised at each other, and then to her.

"Then why did you accept the bet? You just could say _no_ , and that's all… none of us would say anything…" Yamir asked, still recovering from laughter, intrigued but curious.

Tulisse looked at him, doubtful, hiding her face a little behind her forearms. "I don't know…" It's all she said.

Brent grumbled incredulously between his teeth before going out through the door, coffee pot in hand, shaking his head as Yamir leaned back toward the table and crossing his arms. "You know if you want to end a bet you have to win it, right? We're all in this…" Yamir narrowed his eyes. There were both alone now.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, unable to hold his gaze. "I know... but... I don't want to sleep," She excused herself. Her eyes watery with a full expression of apprehension.

Yamir tightened his brow more with a faint gesture of sneer but still, confused. "Why? You would lose the bet. Besides, Brent said he found you half asleep outside and you were freezing. Why wouldn't you want to sleep?" He pressed again.

But she said nothing more, hiding herself even more behind her arms, looking away as a reminiscence of past hours dread to climb onto her feet.

She said herself she was going to wait.

* * *

"What the hell, dude!"

Annoyed, Yamir pursed all the muscles of his face as he stood, jerking the chair away to get water from a canteen on the comms table. "That thing is undrinkable!"

"I told you, if I have to win, I don't mind wasting my coffee." Brent took a sip and almost immediately squeezed his eyelids and frowned in disgust to end up gesturing a curse halfway.

"I won't take that." Tulisse objected as she watched Yamir's expressions of relief after taking a long gulp of water.

"Me neither! Forget this!" He added annoyed, sitting down again and resting the canteen on the table.

"If I have to take this every hour to stay awake, I will. And if I must look for an excuse for you cowards to drink this, I will do it too," The blond stood and heading toward the door once more. "I might have an idea, and I have no intention of losing this bet." He added, leaving the cabin once more, full of resolve.

Both Yamir and Tulisse saw him walking away through the windows, directly to one of the tents in the nearby.

"Damn hard-headed knucklehead…" Yamir murmured, taking another sip of the canteen.

As he swallowed a mouthful portion of water, he perceived Tulisse's gaze on him, finding her with greedy eyes, looking at the container in his hand.

Sizing if there's was enough for both, he extended what it was left to her.

With a hushed gratitude and a welcoming reply from him, she took the container and drink after sniffing it, sighing satisfied when there was nothing left on it. Watching him with curious eyes, she turned slightly to where she saw Brent disappear. "Where did he go?" She asked in a quiet tone, nestling on the blanket.

"Dunno, but sometimes I worry that he is becoming obsessed with this playings," He replied frustrated without looking at her, as if it was thinking on something else. Tulisse frown puzzled, as Yamir stood again to look for a small viscous red ball from the next table, and having it in one of his hands, began to squeeze it.

"Why…?" She asked as Yamir sat down again. The boy clenched his thick lips as his black eyes wandered everywhere in search of an answer.

"It's a long story…" Was all he said. There was a shade of sorrow in the tone of his voice.

In the brief silence, her eyes do what they do best. "I have time," Tulisse responded. Yamir stared back at her, stopping to squeeze the little ball.

"You mean it when you said about not wanting to win the bet, don't you…" He added with irony. She, with timid eyes, gestured with her shoulders.

Yamir couldn't help but sketch a slight smile, squeezing the ball slightly again. "I'll tell you this, I propose you a deal: I tell you if you help me win this, but first… _you_ must tell me why you took the bet and why you don't want to fall asleep." He then, could see the young woman debating on what to answer.

"You're just getting me to bet again…" Tulisse alleged sardonically.

Yamir chuckled before answer her back. "Not at all. A deal is like an agreement, an agreement between a woman and a man in this case; although, it is usually said 'between gentlemen'. When you make a deal, you agree to fulfill your terms in pursuit of a common agreement." He explained, waving his hand where he held the viscous sphere.

"I see no difference…" Tulisse retorted, bringing her feet again on the chair, frowning.

Yamir laughed again, amused. "But there is! In a bet, you only get your own benefit. In a deal, the benefit is for both parties," He replied, raising his eyebrows and hands. Tulisse muttered while chewing on that answer.

The girl looked him sideways, still wary. "That's not what happened…"

Yamir tilted his head. "What you mean…?"

"When he didn't agree with the bet, they had to look for a deal, didn't they?" She was still suspicious.

"Yeah, it could be, but that doesn't mean everyone gets benefited," He corrected. "The trick on betting is to make trouble in the other player to get the most out of it, and win."

Tulisse twisted her mouth as she looked sideways at Yamir, playing with a sweater fluff on her cuff, the blanket slipping off her shoulders. "But… that doesn't mean you couldn't get more out of the other person with which you're doing it..." She murmured.

Yamir smile widen, marking his cheeks, while his accent slipped into his words making them skid at the end with a cheerful tone. "I know what you're doing…" He pointed with complicity.

"What…" Tulisse shrugged, elusive. The dark gray almond eyes expectant.

"Nothing, nothing...! I'm just pointing the obvious..." He replied smiling, playing with the ball from one hand to the other.

The girl tried to hide an embarrassed smile as she pried her eyes elsewhere. "What...?"

Yamir grinned. "You're clever, maybe tedious even if it's not purposely," he said, smiling and making Tulisse raise her eyebrows. "But you're clever enough to know what you're doing. I recognized that." He saw the girl blushed, embarrassed.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about," She hurried to reply nervously, without being able to look at him. Yamir laughed acknowledging.

"Easy… I won't say anything. I promise," he said. Tulisse scrutinized him for a few moments, looking at him sideways. "It's part of the deal, I swear," he added.

A few moments passed without saying anything, Yamir playing with the ball, passing it from one hand to the other, and she insistently playing with the sweater's cuff. The implied silence became intriguing, and then, itching.

"Was it then a deal…?" She muttered again, a looking shyness on her expression. Yamir stopped playing with the ball and looked at her with knowing smile. "The last thing said..." She added in a whisper.

Both understood what they were talking about.

He smirked, more evident than the last time. "I'd like to say it was just a deal, but we both know it wasn't, Lis." Almost instantly, he threw the ball with a slight movement to her, making her react to catch it. "You have what to play with," he added, smiling at her.

Tulisse bit her lower lip as she felt the smooth red ball material in her hands with her fingertips, her gaze down at it while her cheeks burn, her fingers hid a strand of her hair behind her ear. That nickname acting as a telltale.

"So, we have a deal?" Yamir repeated smiling as he extended his hand to her.

Tulisse looked back at him wary but shy, and then at his hand, and after a few moments, she extended her hand to him and shook a light squeeze, her small palm against his, warm and firm.

They both looked at each other in silent knowledge.

* * *

"I said: I won't swallow that."

Tulisse, hidden under the blanket again and covering her head now with her feet still on the chair, looked with face full of disapproval to the canteens on the table. "Nothing at all," she added contemptuously.

"If I have to be and object of your gambling, then I also can make the rest of you object of my bets," Brent said as he dealt cards to each of them.

"Dude, there's no need to do this..." Yamir was heard jaded, running his hand through the dark wavy hair.

"I'll say what the rules are, and hopefully, I verified the mic is turned off to duck out of more problems," He objected, finishing to hand out the deck of cards and sitting down. He cleared his throat, jerking his hair with one hand and licking his lips in interest and looking them both. "I have distributed 7 cards to each one of you. Please take them," he said; the anxious tone of his voice at the end as he left the rest of the deck on the table, but next to 3 canteens.

Both Tulisse and Yamir looked him sideways, bored and frustrated, while accommodating the bunch of cards that they had on their hands. The girl was somewhat confused, to the point of almost dropping her bunch for accident, being warned by Brent that she was handling them all wrong, and startling her slightly as he helped her to managed the position of her hands correctly to prevent them from seeing each other hand while smiling with satisfaction.

"OK, you already have your cards, now look at them well and pay attention," He instructed as he now passed both hands anxiously through his hair and insisted to them, gesturing mockingly with his hands. "You'll notice that each card has a color and a symbol, and a number; each symbol means an action, which can be to change direction, take more cards, change the color of the cards, skip a turn, just to quote. Having that in mind, there's the colors, and this is the plot of the game: you must _always_ place the card of the same color in the deck, no matter what symbol comes out. The other two players are going to have to respect the card on the deck," he explained, while Yamir rolled his eyes causing his eyebrows to arc and face expressions to frown on exasperation as Tulisse watched them both puzzled and frowning, part of her face hidden behind her bunch of cards, eyes coming and going between Yamir's expressions of disbelief and the obvious eagerness in Brent's clear eyes.

"I already know this game, Brent. She will get bored to death and fall asleep," Yamir snapped, waving his hands but preventing his cards from being seen. He swayed back on the chair, now raising one foot on it.

"No, she won't! And that's why I made _MY_ rules for this occasion," He remarked, his finger up and eyes brighten. He took the deck of cards face down under the table and looked for a particular card. "You will find a card like this one, and when you place it, the next player will have to take 4 cards from the deck, as long as the handler have no chance to place a card with the color choose in the deck, there will be a pledge," he said, raising his eyebrows with a sly smile all over his face.

"Yeah, take 6 cards instead of 4," Yamir gestured unwillingly with his free hand in the air.

"That's correct but also, you will have to take a sip of what is in any of these 3 canteens," He asserted. "The handler of that one will have to decide which one the looser in the round will have to drink of."

"I told you won't drink any of it!" Tulisse snapped, her eyes wide open.

"Huh, I'm sorry? but you accepted this bet and you are in this as well as are we," That's all Brent said.

"What's in the canteens? More coffee?" Yamir's voice was a hiss full of boredom.

"Yeah, exactly. More coffee… and water… and a little pinch of alcohol," Brent replied with triviality.

"WHAT?!" Yamir shout. Tulisse only opened her eyes more alarmed, but just for coffee.

"Most importantly: to win the game, you must get rid of all the cards, saying _ONE_ when you accomplish that. But, if you're wrong, you'll have to get a drink of what is right here too!" He lightly patted the top of the canteens, without minding about Yamir's reaction.

"Wait, wait, wait! You put alcohol on one of these things?! You brought alcohol during surveillance?!" Yamir was still outraged.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Should I've asked if you are on legal drinking age before coming out with this?" Brent scoffed.

"If they catch us drinking alcohol on duty, they'll kill us!" Yamir yell to him, scandalized. "If they catch us drinking alcohol _with her_ , most certainty will kill us!" He clarified pointing at her.

Brent snorted strutting, and then hesitated, giving Tulisse a second look. "You're on drinking age, aren't you?" He got no answer as her bewildered look was still coming and going between him and Yamir. "Forget it. I'll take that back."

"Knock it off! They will mad at us anyway! She's barely my age for sure but the point is being drunk with her in here, on duty!" Yamir remarked heatedly.

"They won't! Stop complaining and just play the game!" Brent reproached, shaking his head.

"Carina sure will do! Or Cayde! _Or both_!" Yamir replied angrily, sitting back tense in his chair.

"I don't want to interrupt you both..." Tulisse's deep and timid voice caught their attention. "But we went back to the beginning..."

Brent raised his hands with a sarcastic gesture, drawing a wince at Yamir, this one just sighed in resignation and turned his gaze to Tulisse. He read in the look in her eyes as she shared her attention between them and the cards that she has, acknowledging what she was thinking.

Yamir chewed his options several times, but something inside him made him partially proud to understand what she was up to. He nodded resignedly, settling down back on his chair and getting ready his hand. An implicit resolve encouraged him as she looked to the girl.

"A deal's a deal I supposed. Shall we begin then?" He emphasized.

* * *

The deck of cards was in the center of the table while the cards wasted were laying down beside it with its face up, and as the game advanced, sometimes between introspective silences, sometimes between smiles and mockery —and especially mockery, specifically towards Brent—, the rounds resumed after one of them committed a fault, or Tulisse became confused on following the rules, showing herself somewhat uncomfortable with it, or distracted when an incoming transmission has to be attended. Or it was just because of the insistence on continuing to play, Brent's insistence most certainly.

They spent the first 6 rounds with some difficulty until the game flowed effortlessly. And as they kept playing, strategies to start to take an advantage on setting traps and make the rest to make mistakes, ceased to be precise tricks to become simple jokes between them, but not for Brent obviously; there was not an opportunity for any of his existential assertions out of spite to make Yamir cackle and draw a joyful smile on Tulisse's face every time she cornered him with a scheming, or whenever without him even notice it, she and her new partner in crime found a way to make him make a mistake without him even realizing it, just for fun.

* * *

Ten more rounds passed, and the deck in the center of the table was slightly turned aside, somewhat scattered, and with some cards face up.

* * *

"I'm just sayin' man! A person's reification for pure entertainment is just awful y'know…" Brent's voice was an erratic modulation that made his tired voice even more hoarse. "It's just… mean, like blowin' a vandal's head away. Poor lil' guy, dude! He didn't even see it coming! He probably had family or somethin'!" He said halfway up, one knee on the seat as he shook his arms in a dazed manner.

"They have no family, you moron! It's even known if there are females!" Yamir, almost lying on the table, muttered in a weary voice as he held his head up resting on one hand.

"How you know? D'you know why we don't know? Because _BAM_! A sniper from afar, mockin' as if he were the champion of champions, and it was all over..." Brent gesticulated being wobbly, and then paid attention to the girl right beside him. With a slight movement, and seeing her lying on the table, the little chin on her forearms and with lethargic movements in her eyelids, he snapped her fingers in front of her. "Hey, hey! Not in my watch, copy that…" He objected.

Tulisse straight herself up, spreading both hands on the table while stirring, trying to hide a yawn and frowning back at Brent disdainfully, heaviness fighting to shut her eyes.

"You know what you're saying is stupid, don't you…" Yamir pick up the thread again, barely keeping his eyes open and sketching a smile.

"How mean of you, dude! D'you really think the agony of a creature's stupid?" Brent swayed over the table with an accusing tone.

"Dude, they've been killing us for centuries!" Yamir emphasized, dropping both arms on the table in frustration.

Brent just swayed back to the back of the chair, leading his hand to her chin and thinking thoughtfully. "What if they had come in peace and we just fucked up…? Would it be stupid?" He reformulated, now leaning with more assertion to his partner.

"They shot us first!" Yamir scoffed in dismay.

"'Mkay! That's okay! Point taken, but… that doesn't riddle out the main question of whether there are Fallen females or not," He wander off. "What if… they exist…? What if they're still there… y'know… waiting for their skinny squalid Fallen male? Holding her... I dunno… puppy Fallen?" Yamir frowned, wrinkling his nose in bafflement. "The face behind the ether-mask, worried and saying in that sharp scratchy accent ' _Will my male return in time for his etheric vapory ration for supper?_ '" He impersonated in a squealing tone, ending up to chock and coughing, making Yamir drown in a laugh while Tulisse looked back at him in a sneer as she clenched her lips, stifling a cackle.

"Oh Lord! You are _so_ drunk!" Yamir was barely understood as he rubbed both hands over his face, still guffawing.

"I'm makin' a serious point over here, guys! We don't know if there're females sufferin' at this very moment, 'cause if we run into a bunch of Vandals we'd jerked their heads off from their bodies in a bang... Just think 'bout it. They may not arrive at home in time to give their four-arms pup a goodnight kiss," Brent added frowning to make a valid point his case, his face imitating sympathetic grief as he blinked lethargically and his voice was a harsh whisper, sitting down at his chair again. "Just… think 'bout it. Maybe they just need a hug, and they'd nicer..."

Yamir cackled again, "HAHA! Sure! a hug! Make it four!".

"Laugh 'bout it if you like. But what is it to have so many arms if it's not to give out _MORE_ love?" He added indignantly. Yamir guffawed even harder.

"That's… true…?" Tulisse stammered, nestling herself in her inseparable blanket. Brent gave her his attention as Yamir calmed down. "Does everyone needs a hug to feel better?"

"Totally! It's the best part of make amends!" He reacted as if it were obvious.

"Not always, Tulisse. Don't believe everything he says," Yamir muttered with a smile as he searched one by one on the canteens, looking for the one with water.

"Don't dash her hopes like that, dude! She just wants to be nice!" The blond refuted, then wandered off again. "But, now that I'm thinkin' 'bout it, it may not be a matter of no Fallen females around here. Maybe they don't know how to hug, like our women," Brent suggested, tapping the table with his index finger.

"Brent you ass! That's rude!" Yamir shout. "Then you don't want to be treated like a dunce. We have a woman here! And you talk about reifying? Just hear yourself!"

"OK, OK! Sorry Tulisse. I didn't mean it. I'm just wandering on a possible thing," Brent waved hoarsely. "But, just looked at the women on this camp. You say ' _hello!_ ' and they answer back, 'the fuck you want'" He exposed, mimicking first with a soft and delicate tone, and a rough and rude one later. Both Yamir and Tulisse laughed.

"Speak for yourself. Don't jump into conclusions so easily…" Yamir argued before taking another gulp of water.

"Not likely! But Tulisse right here must admit that when I went to tell her that cold concrete isn't a good idea to take a nap, the first thing she told me was, ' _I'm fine. Thank you_ ,'" Brent imitated a serious but scornful tone.

Tulisse bit her lower lip, kind of embarrassed and hiding her behind her arms. "But you can't deny how men say hello to a woman, screaming and whistling. And that's also rude…" she replied back.

Yamir cheered, raving on the girl's answer and laughing at Brent's face.

"Ha, ha. Don't oversimplify it just like that, young lady. And don't believe everything they could ever tell you about men either," It's all the blond answered, dejected, checking on the same canteen Yamir had took before.

"Well, maybe if you just say hello, without everything else… Women could hug you," She added, seeking complicity with Yamir, stifling in his own hilarity.

"How much time did you spend with Jocelyn? Because she's not a good example in terms of politeness," Brent hinted before taking the last of water.

"Why? Because she doesn't hesitate on kicking a man's ass?" Yamir quizzed, smirking.

"No, but because it's a bad influence. That's it," Brent chewed, leaving the canteen on the table with the tone of his voice getting lower.

"To say that a woman's worth is unquestionable is a bad thing?" Tulisse looked puzzled at them both, intrigued and taking their favorite position in the chair, feet up and arms at the knees.

"No at all. That's a good thing, and it's not a bad idea to listen to her," Yamir replied with a knowing smile. She understood, and smiled back at him.

"I need fresh air. Be right back," Brent muttered dryly, making his chair squeak as he stood up. Both Yamir and Tulisse, surprised, saw him storm outside fast, taking an empty canteen and leave without further explanation.

* * *

"He's taking his time."

Yamir muttered something restless and stood on his way to the door causing Tulisse to get up, leaving the lethargy where she was beginning to fall slowly asleep. "He just probably fell asleep somewhere else around the camp to save himself from embarrassment. I'll be right back."

"I'm going with you." She stood up in a jump, her voice tense and clutching both hands at the edges of the blanket once again. Yamir looked at her in surprise, as he watched her go around the table and approach him.

"OK, follow me." It's all he said, sighing.

They both went out to the cabin and met to most of the camp in silence, a few embers burning in the campfires as almost everyone around them were asleep and snoring. There were one or two people making their shifts on the night watch inside the shelter, and hardly paid attention to them passing by.

Tulisse watched them sideways hiding behind Yamir's arm as they passed by them, suspicious of the glances they gave her at times; adamant and unscrupulous. They watched them walk to a part where there were several water cans as a reservoir, and as they went further to that place, she notice how their faces turned into a shady mask of meanness, or that is what she seemed to her. She looked forward, afraid, never leaving the boy's side. Something stirred in her.

It was dark there, and there was only one oil lamp on a nearby table.

They looked around as the lighter let them, realizing that Brent was not in sight anywhere apparently. Yamir called out for him in a hushed tone, just like not wanting to attract any unwanted attention, taking his time but not intending to stay any more moments around there as the necessary. And as there were sure he was not there, they retraced their steps, hasting their exit.

"You, boy!" Someone caught them coming out of the shadows, scaring them both. A man with a poncho lurked out to the light, visible upset, and looking them both with irritated eyes. "What d'you want?" He inquired, snarling.

"Hey, hmmm… You saw Brent over here? He's needed on the cabin and we're looking for him…" Yamir replied, clearing his throat nervously.

That guy looked at both wary, first the young man with contempt, and then, more adamantly to the girl. Light blue eyes on her ashen face marked by a recent scar, scrutinizing her as some strands of black hair fell over his face. He did not look away, as if he was piercing her out to the bone.

"He's at the entrance," He finally responded. "He woke me up half an hour ago because he wasn't careful with one of the covers," he explained then, looking Tulisse from head to toe.

"OK, thanks then…" Yamir said without further explanation before hurrying his way out.

Tulisse tailed on him closely, and only looked back once. That man's eyes were still piercing through the darkness to targeted her from the distance before going back inside his tent. A chill ran down her spine as she sped up, and acting as a mandatory warn, too.

They make their way to the entrance, the brazier that had been lit hours ago was now a smoking set of burning logs, and the lamp that hung on the cabin's ledge where they spent the whole night, could barely light up to the edge of the concrete now.

There was Brent, sitting in the gloom of the early hours, wrapped in another blanket with the canteen at his side, facing the darkness.

They approached him puzzled, being Yamir the first to reach him, and in a playful tone, booted his left thigh to startling him a little. "What the hell, Brent? What are you doing here all alone?" He reproached him, standing beside him.

"I said I needed some fresh air, that's all," the blond replied warily after noticing Tulisse approaching with hesitant steps to his right.

"Is cold concrete a good tactic to keep you awake?" Yamir jested him crossing his arms on while his breath let a trail on the night air.

"Not at all. I just wanted some fresh air. Booze was raising onto my head." Brent's tired and hoarse voice was heard like a murmur as he turned his attention to the gloom. Yamir looked up to the young woman, sharing sympathetic glances.

"You know it's not a good idea to be out here. We must be in the cabin, just in case someone else calls." Yamir tried to dissuade him in a chilled-out tone.

"I'm OK. I'll just stay here a bit longer," Brent excused again, not wanting to look back at them.

Yamir sighed discreetly, only evident by the trail of breath on the chilly air, escaping through his nostrils as he turned his gaze on Tulisse again.

She saw him frown, his expression with a shade of remorse. There was always remorse on them, and she knew why. She really knew now.

However, a spark lit on that black eyes. "Wait here," he told her in a whisper. Then, she saw him walk away back and paced up towards the cabin.

Then she turned to Brent, who after a few moments realized that she was still there, just tilting his head enough to look at her.

"You'll freeze. Go with him, I'll be OK…" he muttered, dispirited.

There was a silence then, but an awkward one.

She felt something squeeze her chest when she saw him there, sitting all alone, wrapped in a wool blanket just like hers.

Now she could see it, most probably, why the concern then, even though the dullness. Why the sympathy.

She understood.

Tulisse smiled, and there was warm now in there where there was cold before.

She rounded him stealthily to his left, crouching down. He looked at her with bewildered glassy eyes, open-mouthed, a personal tic when he looked confused.

"You need a hug…?" She asked in her soft deep voice, a kind smile writing on her face.

Brent look at her, first stunned, and then, his face seemed to give in, mirroring that same gesture.

In the next moment, on her knees, she gave him a hug, squeezing tight as she heard him chuckle.

"Oh, you're quite something, lil' one. Cranky, but a good sport nonetheless…" He murmured, hugging her back. His voice sounding somewhat distressed, but happier as their embrace lasted.

They held each other for a long time, until Yamir's short whistling arriving surprised them both as his arms catch them in another embrace, throwing himself over them. "Group hug!"

Tulisse shrieked in laughter.

"Dude! My fucking back!" Brent whined.

* * *

"Will you stop betting after this?" Tulisse asked, her voice a muffled tone, barely intelligible because of being completely wrapped with her blanket, stuck next to the bulky Brent.

The three of them next to each other, seeking for warmth.

"Dunno… maybe I'll be more confident, and it won't be necessary," He meditated as he looked at the landscape, getting less and less gloomy. "Or maybe not..." He shrugged mockingly.

"Forget it, Lis. This will only help to encourage him," Yamir let out a sneer, elbowing Brent just enough to swaying him.

Tulisse stirred inside the blanket in her usual position, watching towards the blurred and distant silhouette of the tree line among the mist. "Betting is _so_ bad..." She muttered, shaking her head.

"But you did it too! Remember…? Or you bang your head again while falling asleep…" Brent called her out joking as he barely tilted his head to look at her well.

"I know, but... I didn't do it on purpose," She mumbled, looking at him sideways, while in her sight, Yamir's accomplice face appeared behind Brent's figure. She clenched her full lips, trying to disguise a smirk. "Well, maybe... _not_ …" She added, mumbling more quietly.

Brent narrowed his eyes in suspicion, and then turned to Yamir. He saw him trying to hide a smile under the blanket, without success as he hears him chuckling.

"Oh, no..." He turned to Tulisse once again, who was already now with her whole face hidden in her arms. "Oh, HELL!" Yamir sniggered hiding in the blanket. "You used me?! It was all a charade?!"

" _A woman's worth..._ " Yamir recited cheerfully.

"Oh, shut the hell up!" He snapped annoyed, but still exasperated to know how things' work out. "Now, I need to know who we're going to make lose. Even if I don't get paid on this, just to make me feel better with myself…"

"Cayde," Yamir replied.

And Brent eyes widen, forgetting the sour taste of defeat, amazed.

* * *

The quiet filled the landscape as the sky dyed in blue was taking on a more vibrant color, joining the echoes of the fauna that was waking up little by little. The dawning breeze blew everywhere around, howling in the shelter's structures as well as on the mountain afar from there, while in the distance, the lulled tone of trees and bushes in the forest came and went.

Still with a somber tone, the highlands in the distance contrasted with the bluish glow that was increasingly announcing the crack of dawn.

Side by side, in silence, the three of them sat, admiring how the whole landscape changed as the daybreak was approaching; as if a brand-new world were now lying before their eyes. A whole different world than yesterday.

"…You know…" A whisper severed her stillness. Yamir's hushed voice.

She stirred just enough to make sure she was listing.

"…My grandfather used to say, that before the break of dawn we always had to give our prayers and give our thanks for another day…"

He was a muffled tone wrapped in the blanket.

"He said that his grandfather, and his grandfather before, they all did it. And for many years ago, even long before the Golden Age, many people also prayed every day at sunrise, in an invocation of gratitude for a new day in this world. As a veneration of something else out there…"

There was another pause, as she let herself being lost at his words whilst watching the scene before her.

"He said, ' _This is a Garden, and you must guard it, and be grateful for it. Because it'll be here when you are no longer. And it'll be there too, in the afterlife…_ '"

Tulisse tilted, just enough to see through the slit of her blanket Yamir's contour face peeking out his blanket, batting lashes of sentiment.

"As if the Sun was a God… and the Garden its gift…?" She asked, captivated.

Again, a stillness.

"Yeah, I suppose..." He hesitated at the end. "There's no people around doing it anymore. He didn't teach me before he died," There was a pause, she felt the anguish in the air.

"Many things were lost a very long time ago…" He added sadly. "Many others, silenced…"

She listened to Yamir's words in respectful and contemplative silence, and then again appreciated how the colors in the landscape were changing.

Gradually, the sunlight was flashing against the distant peaks bathing in warm bright the gray outline of the mountains. All around then changed as the daylight was arriving, and the colors came to life, like everything else; the animals, the wind, the plants. Mist dancing among the dozen scales of green as a swaying compass of welcoming ritual, in merriment of sunshine warmth.

A garden, just like he said.

Thoughtful statements of wisdom long lost before her time.

Longing emotions of past moments, eager of to be fulfilled once again.

A moment passed, and slowly, the sun's radiance was straining between the contours of the mountains, to the refuge. A warmth sensation of gratefulness of centuries embracing them.

She blinked, to adjust her eyes to the light, barely hiding in her arms, the kindness of the sunrise stroking her face.

"I won't tell…" She whispered with the depth of her voice.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she knew his friend look at her, and she also knew he was smiling; it was a complicit smile. An understanding between them, partners in crime.

A sign of gratitude between them.

They both looked at each other, and then noticed that Brent finally had fell asleep.

She smiled, crossing complicit glances with him, and returned their attention to the glow of the new day.

She closed her eyes, wrapped in the blanket as she let herself being engulfed in warm golden light. And then smiled and thanked, too.

* * *

She was sure she had heard some steps, some light flimsy foot stranding at the back of her mind; some heavy, like stomps. Laughter, murmurs, and hushed words to remain silent.

She had the sensation of movement beside her, a startling movement followed by a muffled swear, and a persuasive shush just compelling enough to silence all the sounds around her.

She grumbled again, frowning, trying to get more comfortable as she nestled herself even more, still comforted by the heat of the Sun on her face.

There was a whisper and a slight swing before she whined again, feeling that her face was squeezed into a complaint, and after a moment, a slight leaning towards her left, resting on something. A rose on the back of her knees made her react, but just a bit. Just enough to pry her senses to struggle against the somnolence.

It was floating and a soothing sensation, or so she felt, with the slight difference that something held her. _Someone_.

She felt her cheek against something cool but soft, smooth, smelling the sweet scent of wet earth and leather. Not being able to compel her eyes to open, heaviness just let her spy to see the detail of a leather vest and a hood, and a stirring sensation make her belly quiver.

There were a few more motions, precise whilst climbing a ladder. And after a moment, there were just steps. Walking with a soothed pace.

She felt all her full weight spread over a relatively comfortable surface, and the motions around her body adjusting the blanket she had brought all night long around her, to cover her up. She whimpered feeling the cold on her skin as her boots were being slipped of her feet, and stirred, as the soothing sensation make her tiredness a sweet welcoming embrace.

She forced herself to blink, still fight the imperative need to sleep, trying to keep her eyes open.

And in the gloom of the early morning, a golden glow greeted her accompanied by a whisper.

"Go back to sleep…"

She groaned, still feeling lethargy in her eyes, though her body thrilled with joy.

"I said until dawn…" She objected in a whisper, trying to force her eyes to stay open again.

"And you made it…! I'm here…" He hushed back with enthusiasm. She could feel, even with her eyelids closed, the glow near to her face, his voice so closely.

She whined before feeling that she was getting so sleepy and tired all at once. However, she knew he was still there, looking at her, just watching her, waiting until he was sure she had fell finally asleep.

A moment passed, and she was sure to hear the brush of his leather equipment and his stealthy steps moving away, making her heart halt.

"Cayde…" She could barely formulate with an exhausted voice but hasty motion. The steps faltered and turned back to her, almost immediately, the sound of his clothes rustling as he crouched down beside her, making her hold her breath.

Her eyes tried to resist her mighty need to stay open, but the slumber began to succumb before it. Finally, letting her be able to see.

There she found the glow of his eyes, watching her over while waiting to hear her pleading voice for a second time. Her heart pounded against her chest at the sight of him, and she smiled.

Warmth and thrilling sensation filled her chest, fueling all the muscle of her body as she sat up laboriously, to reach him. And when she straight up, her arms surrounded him in a keen embrace.

"Sorry about the head-butt," she whispered, tightening him closer. She could feel the rubbing of his old hood and the toughness of his jaw against her cheek.

There was a hesitation, lingering in the air as she conceded herself to him. That anticipation to finally fulfilled all she has waited the moment she saw him leave. And when that doubt fainted away, his arms encircled her, stroking gently the middle of her back, letting her breath out a sated sensation of happiness.

"Apology accepted," He whispered back with intentness.

She smiled, and the embrace became lasting.

She was sure that she had fallen asleep after that, or perhaps, it seemed to her that the time they stayed like that was been quite enough.

What she does remember, being carved in the memory of her skin, was to be left laying down on the cot, and how the caress of his gloved hands escorted the weight of her own arms until letting them rest against her own body.

After that, there was a silence, wistful as all the sensations that carried her away to finally sleep. Then, the brush of the leather, implying that he stood for a while, and after that, the hesitant tap of his boots as he moved away.

* * *

 **Author's Notes :**

 _OK! Wooo-hoo!_

 _Two chapters in a row! Thank heavens vacations exists! Though, I almost spent this whole 2 weeks completing my Savior seal and The Recluse quest! (that one was a tough one tho... and I'll take my time with the Redrix one and the other pinnacle quests, throughout the next season, hopefully...). However, I could keep my time to keep working on this, updating as well starting to set the corrections I need to put together to advance with the editing in the upcoming chapters and the end of the first arc, just as I mention on the last update._

 _Getting on this one, I don't know how chapter 6 worked for you guys, but while I was editing it and hearing it searching for typos with the read aloud tool on Word, kind couldn't help but laugh so many times. I feel bad for Brent! I'm just so mean! xP_


	8. Chapter 8

He walked down the rusted iron stairs with heavy steps and deep in his own thoughts. Musing, and without even noticing Ghost manifesting in a faint beam of light next to him, he walked down the last steps and walked as the Sun slipped through the entrance to the shelter, and then stood.

Distracted with the shapes drawn by the morning sun before keep walking, he watched as his own shadow was cast across the concrete, stretching out until ended against one of the tent entrances several meters to his left, near the cabin. Just like that, contemplating. He returned his gaze to his current spot, immersed and silent.

It had been just a few moments ago, but he could still feel it pounding against his chest, loud and clear, echoing strong enough for his hearing inner system to let him notice it.

A heartbeat.

 _Hers_.

It took him by surprise, letting just the moment flow as he saw her in the early blueish morning. Her figure standing and reaching out, surrounding him with both her arms in a close embrace, the weight of all her thin frame against him; if he hadn't react soon enough to instinctively switch his own weight to keep both he and her standing, he would probably have fallen on his back with her in his arms.

Aside that, his response was almost innate.

It wasn't like the first time, when he had found her, or like when he had to calm her down in a fit of panic and hysteria. Now, it was different. So much personal. _Intimate_.

His arms encircled her, and her complexion felt small between them. He could feel also, like the day before, the trembling and startle of her body when he lightly caressed her middle back, closing the embrace and pulling her closer to him. Hearing her exhaling a smile make him didn't want to make a sound, or move.

It wasn't long after that that he could feel her entire body relax, and still never let him go. He stayed like that too, just appreciating the sound of her breathing. The emotion was mutual.

Her cheek settled comfortably against his hood at the base of his neck, and her entire torso was against his own. He barely moved his head to rest it lightly against hers, without even moving much. For nothing in the world, did he want to wake her up.

The morning was cold, and a chilly breeze swayed in the small place, making him notice that clearly this was not a comfortable position to rest so, carefully, putting all the weight of her body on his arms and using the strength of his legs to barely get up, he laid her on the makeshift bed in gentle motion, taking with his hands the pair of slender arms that surrounded him moments ago, kindly placing them on her abdomen and settling the blanket with which he had found her, and then stood there, gazing at her as if memorizing everything of her; her long eyelashes, the relaxed expression of her eyebrows, the light waves of the strands of her hair appearing underneath the bandage and surrounding her features, her full lips parted in peaceful breathing.

Once again, he was mesmerized.

After long minutes and making sure she would not wake up, he slipped away, giving to the young woman one last look, finally sleeping in peace.

The warmth and hum he remembers against his chest mingled with the mild heat from the early morning sun, almost reminding him how he felt his light swarming up and bursting in the thin air. He looked up for it, barely admiring the brightness and letting that intensity engulfed him wholly, and then returning to his introspection, his right hand to his chest as if he could still feel that tender beating right through his glove, blazing to his core.

As he had not felt it for a very long time, or at least, as he can remember.

" _Your functions are erratic, again..._ " Ghost's soft voice was heard with slight movements in her rear blades, making him look up. " _Maybe you should rest…_ " She suggested.

"Nah, not yet… There are still things we must attend to," He replied inattentive, moving slightly his shoulders back and gazing towards the clear sky.

" _You sure?_ " She insisted. There was a tone on her voice, something implied, Cayde stared her back, curious. " _You really look tired…_ " Then she added in a naive, but unerringly insightful approach.

He just look at her, tilting his head to the side and trying to read if she had really said what he thought she was implying, and then, straightening up with the expression of disbelief all over his face, screeched at her.

"You shameless lil' scamp! Are you suggesting- ?!"

"CAYDE !" A distressed cry was heard in the distance.

It was from one of the tents at the back, the infirmary specifically. Pivoting alarmed recognizing that voice, he saw Carina with terrified face, speeding up to him with long hasty strides. Around her, the early routine in The Base came to a tense brief halt at her desperate holler.

Still crying out his name as she reached out for him while catching her breath, the tone of her voice was an anguish plea barely being able to connect a word, clutching at his forearms as she could feel her whole body trembling uncontrollably in the shortness of breath.

"Carina- What! What happened?! You OK?! Just- Try to calm down-" He urged.

"It's Tulisse! She's gone!" She cried with reddish eyes. Cayde just faltered back, confused, and still not letting go the distressed woman. "Last night I took her with me to rest, and to have her with me in case she need something. And, when I woke up… she wasn't there! She fled!" Carina explained on the verge of tears.

Cayde's unconcerned expression did not help, and Carina's despair grew even more at the sight of not seeing him to react. "Are you hearing me?! SHE RUN AWAY!" The woman bellowed.

"Huh, Doc… No… She didn't go anywhere…" He replied in a calm manner.

"WHAT?! What do you mean she didn't leave?! She was not on her spot! ANSWER!" Carina flared at him.

"OK. Doc, just _calm-down_. She won't go anywhere," Cayde reaffirmed with a soothing voice, holding the exalted woman's forearms with a reassuring hold. "She's upstairs at my place, resting. That's all! She's safe…"

Carina opened her eyes wide, and desperation transformed into an expression of total bewilderment. "She WHAT?! What's she even doing there?! Why's she _there_!"

"Hey! Relax, Sheriff! There was no crime," He joked lightly as he gestured with both his hands to her, only to receive a bump on his forearm and mimicking pain and laughing.

"That's _not_ even funny! It scared me to death!" She barked at him. "What's she doing there anyway!" Carina demanded with exasperation as she hid some lose strands of her gray-haired bedhead behind her ears.

"As I said: She's taking her sleep in there. She woke up late night and it wasn't 'til now when she was finally able to get some sleep. She has clearly trouble to do, so…" He explained in a hushed tone as Carina was plainly mortified. "But, it's OK now! Trust me! She was with Brent and Yamir all night long; they took care of her since that. I myself checked on them! Everything's fine!" He finally added cheerfully while holding her on her shoulders.

"WHAT?!" Carina shouted. She did _not_ look happy.

"They are good boys! They made her company during surveillance, even Brent proved to be a cool big brother! He's a good nanny!" He jested while waving his hands.

"I must see her," She hurried towards the stairs, trying to dodge Cayde in the attempt, who at once cut her way once again gripping her by her shoulders.

"Carina, seriously. Take it easy... She's sleeping right now, and she really needs to…" His voice was low and reassuring as he held her, seeing how she still cast fleeting glances at the loft, still uneasy and worried. "Here's the thing, as soon as we finish with report, I promise you that I will check personally if she's awake, and if she is, I will send her right to you without fail. No excuses, no pun intended. Whaddya think?"

The woman's eyes pore over him, tightening her lips in a flat expression of skepticism, and letting her shoulders relax enough to yank Cayde's hands off her in complicit gesture, she walked back right to the cabin with hasty motion as she pointed to him in a motherly warning before leaving standing there without further explanation.

"And why was that about! Wasn't I the best option to take care of her? What's wrong with you guys 'bout double meaning!" He protested, but not before looking back at Ghost. "Yeah! And I'm specially lookin' at you, you lil' prankster!"

The little one just turned her sole eye to him as she moved her blades back, puzzled.

* * *

The Base recovered its habitual schedule with the sun close to the zenith. The workshop and storage control were carried out organically. Some squads left for the second patrol of the day, after sunrise, and others returned without any other news than the current that had been delivered since the early hours.

It was a different day than yesterday, fair with clear skies, and the cold front brought by the rain was noticeable now, except for the heat of the midday.

Different thing was what was happening inside comms.

Everybody was silent, all gazes on the squad leaders. All severe.

"They're not moving," Andal stated.

He was on the center of the small place, in which the small table was now on a corner to giving him room. His expressive gaze was grim, dark eyes watching everyone in the room doing his general report and giving one final conclusion after the last communication from the first patrol of the day. His ghost loomed over his shoulder, updating the information in a projection accessible to everyone on the crowded space about the ongoing situation.

"Last night we mull over the possibility that they'd hunt or search for another target in the area as night watch passed by, 'cause normally they don't stay too long on one place, even more at night," He switch to look on the projection, taking a brief pause. "But then, we found out that their movements were limited and scarce. They're deliberately staying in the area with no intention of leaving," He explained, watching each one of the present fellow companions with keen eyes. A meaningful glance was directed to Carina.

"We followed'em from a safe distance, always being careful 'bout marauders looking for prowlers. They never left the area, and they won't do it for a couple days…" Joyce added in the same tone, hands on her waist and the dimple on her chin stressing the seriousness of her words. "They just settled there, which's not good news. Neither the tools they're using."

"Glimmer Extractors," Cayde quoted next to an introspective and concerned Carina. All the people in the cabin shifted uneasily and looked at each other when the projection let them see what it appeared to be a schematic of a tripod machine with laser drill. "They may have found a deposit of unrefined bright matter and they want to dig-in-site and mining it, which it wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't for how fast they showed up on site, and the advance party beginning to mobilize within this last 3 days; from the first time we saw'em, 'til yesterday... " He explained at the same time that another image was presented. "They're heavy armored and awfully well protected; At least, 2 Captains for every 6 squads of extractors leading the operation; 4 marauders guarding the perimeter... and 1 Walker…" He then turned to Carina with his pupils brightening in intense blue light as he tried to read her thoughts. She, on the other hand covered her mouth pondering over what she was seeing with a frowning expression, her right hand holding her left elbow. She noticed his gaze on her, returning the gesture. "We need to move. _Fast_ …" He asserted when he got her attention, his modulator barely blinking.

"Carina ..." Andal called on her. She scarcely moved her posture and just looked up to him. She was tense. "We don't have two days. Next time, we may have'em at our doorstep…"

There was a somber silence as she turned her attention to the projection.

The details of their current position on the map in perspective to the hostile movement, the distance between them and The Passage, the enemy. Then, she looked up to see the rest of the people who were there with her. She saw their faces.

It was concern in every and each one of them, some were trying to conceal the best they could their fears, others, not so much and pondered keeping their gaze low. They were in risky situations many times before, but now it was kind of different, maybe way too different. But then again, there was always something at stake, something on what search for a meaning to survive for and keep fight until the last breath; to some of them was a day more to keep alive and the profit of it, but for some others it was something different. Something more.

Her gaze was then place upon the only two people in the refuge who could equal the enemy in strength, who with the same seriousness with which she considered the unfolding situation would be crucial on continuing this journey. To reach for safe haven.

That place where not only for the two of them to get, which is why the rest followed, no because of an impulse or the theoretical call of what she considered unknown and defied all understandable human logic. Nor was it because of the epic or the glory, or the recognition of the impossible that arose at the moment when, unexpectedly, the road laid at their path and it was presented one night after the news rushed like a whispering call that came from a stranger to whom some considered mad.

She remembers that night. It was a particular starry night at the east of the Red Sea.

Andal's stunned face searched for hers, as if he was being struck by a sudden realization and his thoughts had come into life, his gaze met Cayde's as well; it was one of the few times she found him speechless, not being able to make any of his witted jokes or make any comment about that old stranger crossing his path with theirs. It was like it was a serious thing for him too.

Subsequently, she remembers the bewildered stares of all of those who were following her throughout the wasteland in this enduring exodus from the old ruins of her motherland, their homeland too; listening this madman sayings, that sounded like fearless impossible dreams rising up from long forgotten names and places, about ancient stories and from ancient lost times.

Those were the same faces who also thought, at the final moments when Death was about to hit the latest of Antigua's defenses: ' _We are all dead_ '. And in their last of their strength, clinging onto life, something impossible happened.

It was all about old stories right now, old fables of ancient times. And it seemed to be always about impossible odds.

But there was always about that. About _this place_ …

A place that was not just a feat of dreamers or madmen, or something made up from the lunacy of a solitary man on one side of the road.

She believed in that place. She wanted to believe with all the might of her soul on it.

She needed to take her people there. They _had_ to get there.

Because that place was _their Last Hope_.

Escaping from her thoughts, she looked up at them again. All those men and women who were there, struggling to survive. Their worried and uneasy faces as they waited for the next step, for her word on how much more should they sacrifice, and if the next time they left that place, if they would return.

She thought about that, too. But also, those who were not.

She remembers them all. Every single one of those deaths, all too well.

She pulled her hand away from her face, just enough so that the slight reflection of light on the rings on her ring finger surprised her; one looser than the other. She blinked, as if something had distracted her, and that glow ached in her eyes as well as inside her heart, making her stomach twist. As if remembering someone else, too.

Carina did not want to her emotions clouded her mind, and turned to everyone in the room without a single glance of regret.

"This is a delicate situation. Our resources are scarce, and we all know too well that we are running out of food, supplies, and also, time," She paused briefly to force air through her throat. "We already had to ration food twice on a day, and because of the Fallen presence in the area, wildlife suitable for hunting is little to none affordable as long as they stay around; the only sources of drinking water we have are rainwater and a nearby stream or river which is a few miles down the forest, but getting closer costs us time and the chance of blow up our position," With slow but reaffirming steps, she took the scene directing her gaze to everyone on the room, making Andal's ghost conclude the projection so that the only attention was on her. "And to add to this whole thing, our last incursion turned out to be nothing more than a direct and surprising onslaught, in the middle of an assault that left us with no ammo, supplies or food to stock up… and even… casualties…" The sole mention of that episode caused some in the room being concern about it, and there was also condemnation. Andal noticed it. "We need to make a decision, and what we decided is that right now we need a plan that needs to be put in motion on break of dawn, tomorrow."

There was a moment when whispering seemed to overlap within the cabin with a possibly solution, but at the end, those fleeting timid rustles that seemed could echoing in the place, died on a deafening silence. Who delivered the news first hand, observed everyone else in the room.

There was concern, of course. But also, something else.

 _Reluctance_.

Among all those same people who looked at each other's faces, suspicious but committed after all, it was this man leaning against the closet near the door.

He raised his hand in an ironic tone, arching his eyebrows and making the wrinkles of her forehead readied in a questioning but sardonic expression his intent.

"I just have one question," His deep, masculine, slightly dysphonic and modulated voice, as well as his green eyes surveyed those who had spoken, and the woman. "How do you plan an incursion with full squadrons of extractors and 1 full-armored Walker, without put the Kell on alert, _or_ , just trying to see the bright side of all this bullshit, without letting marauders blow our heads off as soon as we set foot on that place?"

The brazed expression let slip a scoff on his face burnt by the desert sun.

There was expectation in the rest, and in some of them there was the same arrogance as the one who questioned.

Carina forced a smile, recognizing him in the crowd. "That's… why we need a plan. Aside of having an actual suggestion of a viable plan that it could work out, but needs further elaboration."

"Oh really? And may I ask whose suggestion?" He insisted with a sneer.

Carina did not want to answer and held her breath trying to not let her emotion be read in front of this man. Only one person noticed it.

"Bernard," Andal interjected, arms crossed and staring at him, taking a step forward. "It was Bernard's suggestion. We want to post shooters in different positions around a perimeter to avoid loose ends and create a kill zone, so we can snuff out the marauders and have the rest of the Fallen squad at our reach."

"Ah, Ol' Grumpy Brent'! Always so creative!" He satirized, finding himself in a room of mixed feelings. "I thought you folks asked to watch those Devils to field agents, not because was something asked out of charity." He sought the connivance of some on the crowd. There were a few, but concealed smiles of mockery.

"It was and it still is. Field agent's task is to draw up with a plan. He only made a suggestion," Andal retorted without changing the sullen tone of his expressions or his voice toward him.

"Yeah, it could be…" This man mumbled, gesturing in a nonchalant tone, raising his eyebrows and looking astray. "But there's this thing, y'know… about what's at stake and what'd we do… and the only thing that I came up with is that I won't go back out on the field in an incursion without having a decent plan, and with only ' _suggestions'_..." He added, accentuating his glare towards the bronze-skinned man. "I'm just sayin' man! Someone who's not fitted for that job shouldn't even give his bloody opinion on this, 'cause is a deadbeat. That's what I'm sayin'!" He gestured heatedly with his hands, twisting his mouth with a scorn.

A scoff was heard a few steps on Andal's left. "As you did on the peninsula, right Armand?" Joyce intervened with a bitter smile on her lips, her eyes wanting to open a hole in his wrinkled forehead. "Remember when even with nomads' warning in the coastal zone 'bout the sole idea to approach the Gulf, was plain and simple, ' _a fucking suicide_ '?"

This guy, Armand, only fake a smile as he ran his fingers through the chin-grown beard. "Sweetie, that was just a reconnaissance mission. My men and I knew that zone as the palm of our hands," He replied sneering. "This, on the other hand, _it is a fucking suicide_." He emphasized finally, pointing out of the shelter just to justify himself as he arched his eyebrows to make his case valid.

"Don't call me ' _sweetie'_ ever again," the blonde snapped. The answer was a mockery.

"So then, how d'you expect to leave this place without takin' The Passage, as we want to do…? Because's the only way, just for you to have that in mind…" Cayde interjected, tense, shifting into his place, arms crossed, immediately catching his attention. Armand's gaze bursting in rejection. "Unless… y'know, be prepared to make all the way 'round the mountain range, or maybe take a little detour through one of the most dangerous deserts on this planet? Surviving dehydration, exhaustion or cold sounds fun! Not to mention, there's not a single hide-out or settlement 62 miles 'round, so… I dunno, somethin' to share with the class?"

Armand let go a sneer. "No, I really don't! Maybe _YOU_ can gimme some piece of advice, _Tin Man_!" retorted with a fake smile, causing the tone in his voice to rise.

"Oh, yeah! Sure thing pal! In fact, I can, and _I will_ : No man in his right damn mind —which by the way, includes _me_ —, would do something _so_ stupid and cockeyed like go blind through the whole desert, nor go outside to look up for a path that it don't exist, 'cause is a waste of time. And, yeah… _THAT_ is a fucking suicide," Cayde concluded, still trying to keep a humorous tone.

"Says the man who cannot die..." Armand hissed. The dysphonia in his voice expelled the gall.

"Or the man who wants to," Cayde retorted back, deepening the tone of his voice, the blue of his eyes, on fire.

"That's enough!" Carina interjected; her face inflamed despite the languor of her features.

There was a small sidelong gesture at Cayde, who only barely avoided her gaze; she could see him trying to keep himself in check in all this. Then, she turned to Armand.

She walked towards him, narrowing the distance with loud but measured steps, invading his personal space.

Tension grew until it was palpable on thin air. At no time, did they both stop looking into each other's eyes with dreadful intensity.

Carina barely shared the same stature as this guy. Therefore, the body language of both and the looks they share, filled of complete animosity was inevitable. They did not blink for a second, because doing so suggested losing ground.

"We need a plan, and _not_ this bullshit. I will take pertinent suggestions," She mumbled in a snarl, not just for his ear, but to anyone in the room who questioned her authority ever again. "I'll expect yours if you may. Then, we will decide at night. Not one minute longer. _Tonight_ ," There was a brief but heated silence. Armand clenched his jaw as he did not take his eyes off her. "Dismissed…" She finally commanded.

In a few minutes, most of those present left with heavy steps, Armand being the last one to leave and with not having choice but to end the non-verbal confrontation. Without not a single word, or even look at any of those who remained there, he left.

Andal, Cayde, Darwin and Joyce remained, staring at each other in silent understanding as they seemed to catch their breath again.

However, it was Andal who saw how Carina's shoulders collapsed under and invisible weight, suppressing a curse.

"Well, _that_ was intense!" Cayde joked, regaining his usual carefree expression, mechanical eyebrows expressing awe at the woman. Carina just turned to him, arching her eyebrows sarcastically. "No pun intended. Sheriff's word's The Law," He concluded, hands raised.

* * *

"That fucking piece of shit!" Joyce shouted as she walked alongside Cayde with hurried steps toward the improvised armory. "Who the fuck does he think he is! Catcalling me 'sweetie', just like that!"

Cayde wave his head, pondering, "Man has a death wish. Though, grant him that'd be to be merciful," He muttered dryly, keeping pace with long strides.

"Did he forget who saved his fucking ass that time?! If there's the small chance, I'd bet his fucking ass on what fucking kills him first: a fucking dreg or his misogynist bullshit!" Joyce's furious impression was gestured rabidly with her hands emphasizing each curse. His companion asserted every single one of them.

"I'm positive: the four-armed guy has all my money," Cayde stated as they resumed the walk. Joyce turned to him narrowing her eyes, freckles wrinkled as she frowned. "I mean: shorty, sourpuss, a real piece of work actually. Maybe he can compensate his lack of height with that super-inflated ego of his and give the sorry thing a chance to take the shot. In any case, it'd save us a lot of explanations, and time," They were both at the worktables with several boxes of ammunition of different types and caliber. Cayde turned to her, who was looking at him baffled. "What? It's just a suggestion! Can I still give one, can't I…?" He shrugged.

Joyce turned to the table, glancing sideways at him with a sly smile. "You can be mean when you want to. You know that right...?" She murmured.

"Why's that 'bout? I'm just seeing the odds and shedding a little light on the matter!" He waved his hands in a distracted tone. "What's everyone with this thing of taking sayings in two ways anyway? 'cause it seems anybody can highlight facts, except me."

Joyce smirked. "Oh, yeah! Everyone definitely does, 'cept you. So unfair!" She joked as worked taking some cartridges and refilling others.

Before say anything, Cayde looked at her for a few minutes, reading the looks she was giving him. There was this implied understanding that in some way, was making him uneasy. "I think you have the wrong idea about me, J." He said in a low key and leaning on the worktable.

Joyce chortled. "Nope, I don't think so. I'm just… 'shedding some little light on the matter…'?" As she walked away the table, cartridges in hand toward a cabinet at the edge of the space to take a rifle from inside it. She winked to him, without taking her smirk out of her face.

Cayde shook his head, pretending being confused. "I'm the most honest guy you know in this buried land, and you know it! And, literally, you can't shed more Light in me than already is… I'm all brilliance!" He joked. His voice modulator lit his features from inside of his hood as he returned the wink. Joyce watched him with a wry smile as she loaded one of the cartridges into a kinetic sniper rifle, holstering a pair on her belt and the rest on a satchel on the table.

"Is that so huh? So much brilliance that you're crystal-clear, don't cha?" She challenged, marking the freckles on her cheeks while Cayde nodded theatrically with an affirmative murmur on the brilliance of her vocal cords.

Joyce keep looking at him, the roguish grin never leaving her expression as the hermetic sound of rifle filled the silence between them. She just did not look away, as if there was a message implied on it.

"I know men well enough to draw some conclusions."

Cayde hesitated, dodging her gaze trying to play along. "You're being kind of cryptic…"

Joyce put the rifle on her shoulder, marking her smile. "And… you aren't being honest." He looked taken back, and then eyed her with the same intent with his pupils that even showed in his facial expressions.

"As I said: I know enough; and when you want, you can be mean… _but_ …" She faltered in suspense, still smiling, and heading towards the entrance of the refuge as she walked backwards. "When you want, you can also be… _nice_ , y'know. Like, _yesterday_? Maybe…? That's why you're not being honest. Specially with yourself."

Cayde hesitated, stunned, and shifted on place. "And… what's that about? Am I supposed to say something, or…?" He gestured, trying to hide his awkwardness.

"Hmmm… I don't know. Maybe that's a bet I'll have to set? Like the one before…?" Joyce's grin widened before turn and leave walking.

Cayde watched her go, still stunned, until he managed to react by taking a few hesitant steps. "Are up for guard duty already? You're really working your butt off for those misogynists' asses! You could use a rest, don't you think!" He shouted.

"You should try it too!" She replied loudly in a tease.

Cayde stood alone near the table while the others came and went in their own affairs, paying very little attention he was standing there, making him feel like in a way he was invisible. A sensation that always made him uneasy.

He shook his head, still restless at the conversation he just had. Placing his hands on his waist and looking down first to the floor and then to different sides of the huge steel shed above his head, as if looking for an excuse or a reason. Or wish having one.

He exhaled discreetly, but deeply enough before looking back towards the entrance again, watching Joyce set off again with her recon group.

Stirring his shoulders with slight anxiety, he mumbled.

She really got him this time…

"Damn, that woman..."

* * *

Her body felt heavy as she stirred in the blankets, and little by little, the sounds started to wake her up. Her arms held something soft, woolly, but not fluffy enough, and yet the feeling was so pleasant and comforting that she let the softness soothe her. She curled up after stretching, barely letting her right foot escape from inside the wool cocoon, and curled up again when the cold sensation touched her skin.

A blow of something heavy made her whimper annoyed, contracting her entire face in a frown. She blinked at the rush of voices echoing in the distance, and struggling against drowsiness, gradually began to orient herself.

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was an old wooden trunk, dark-oaked dark green tinted, with ironwork on its edges that gave it more years than it should have. It had an oil lamp on it, and something she couldn't identify quite well.

She straightened up, still sleepy, feeling her head spin and her eyelids threatening to give in to the sleep again. She took a quick look at the little place where she was, confused.

Part of the old rusty waved zinc of the whole refuge structure was behind that trunk and worked as a wall. There were three small beams worn by time that seemed to hold the structure of the story where she was; walled with a thick mesh on the opposite side that was covered with several pieces of a heavy cloth hooked on it, just to keep some privacy on that place that hardly left the daylight slipped through the yellowish fiberglass spotted on several places of the entire roof. There was an entrance where the door, same steel wire mesh, seemed to be always half-way open because of the marks on the steel floor; something told her that when they tried to close it they have a tough time trying to open it back, so the safest option was to leave it that way. Ajar enough to just grant access to whoever wanted to venture inside if it was given the chance.

A reserved, small, and isolated place. Hidden to keep the privacy.

She frowned and sat, a little more awake and inspecting the place where she slept. It was an old cot, just exactly as the same one in which she woke up for the first time on that place, with the only difference that there were more blankets like the one which it was covering her, rustic and heavy, working as a mattress. As instinct, she touched her chest, arms and legs, trying to remember how she got in there.

Vague images came to her mind, and when some of them make sense, the sensations made her shiver grasping something. She remembered a hug.

It has to be _his_ place.

She couldn't help but smile, and instantly recognizing an earthy essence mixed with leather.

The attention went back to her surroundings, giving it again a quick look and trying to recognize the sounds in the outside.

Clearly, she was still in the shelter. From where she was, she distinguished the top of the huge entrance and a narrow landing on the threshold that lead to a staircase.

Then, she looked up to the rusted beams of the story. There were cloth ropes hanging on them that seemed to be adorned with something; they coil with several turns on those bars, coming and going through the whole space, catching her curious eyes.

Stretching her legs out of the warmth of the blankets, she then looked at the mortared floor with wood planks. There was an enormous carpet on it covering the space between the improvised cot and the old trunk; it was thick and somewhat battered by time, and had different kind of patterns and curvy drawings. Her bare feet land on it, woolen and kind of rough but not necessarily annoying, though just enough to give her tickles; it could tell there was dust and some traces of dirt on it, like dry mud. The drawings were barely visible because of what appeared to be footprints.

Standing up and listening to the creak of the woods beneath her feet, she turned back her attention again admiring the ornaments that hung just above her head. She smiled with wonder at the faded colors of the knotted scraps of cloth. It was long enough to cover the entire place.

They were round, various sizes, but always small, thin, and apparently made of metal. They were drilled through the center so that the ropes could pass through, and then hanged in rafters; there were different types, and despite the holes they had, there were different drawings on them; its edges were somewhat worn, and some, the ones that seemed in worse condition, were slightly bent, but not enough for the crafted work with which they were spread through the rope, with a knot to the right and the reverse, prevent them from sliding.

Then, her attention went back to the trunk, to that thing that was there besides the oil lamp.

It looked like a box.

Not very high, just an inch and a half tall, a palm narrow and a bit large than that. It stood out over the old trunk due to the contrast of its dark material that at first glance seemed stretch marked like leather, and yet, that was not what caught her attention the most. There was something traced in the center of this box of sorts; shiny, albeit time-worn on its trace, dancing on surface with adorned edges with the same lines of gold. It was a tree, whose roots seemed to intertwine like braids in synchrony and perfect distance from each other, shining every time the angle of the light reflected it.

In short steps, she reached the trunk and slowly crouched and sat on her heels, contemplating something that powerfully caught her attention and intrigued her. They were like symbols below the roots of the tree drawing; some in curved and short lines as if they slide on the blackness, others rigid and pointed like knives. They danced on the surface around the figure, meaning something.

Hesitantly, she reached out and held it, feeling the smooth material with her fingertips. Then, she opened it, and her eyes were wide open in amazement at the first impression she had found.

It wasn't a box! But it looked like one. There was not even an empty space inside. Thin layers of paper were inside, and what she imagined was the height of the alleged box was just a uniform body of countless paper.

She blinked in perplexity and frowned as she gripped the object that puzzled her, sitting cross-legged in front of the trunk, and holding it with one hand from the body paper while the single and neatly cut piece of paper flapped slightly with movement.

Tilting her head to admire the thin and slightly rough first piece of paper, yellow at the edges, she carefully turned another layer, discovering a whole bunch of those same symbols like the ones on cover, but much smaller, perfectly line up and vertically dispose from her perspective. The orientation was a bit uncomfortable, making her neck hurt a little. But the second time she turned another layer of paper, she discovered another series of traces that definitely made her set, annoyed, a different position on how she was holding this thing.

Both palms supported the two sides now, and it felt different once she settled it, as if this mysterious thing fit right in her hands that way. It felt good, indeed.

With a finger then, from the top edge of the layer of paper, she turned around another layer, discovering another series of lined symbols that spread over its surface, though there was something else too.

In the small edges, other things caught her attention; they made no sense and looked like arbitrary traces that formed figures, like doodles.

She was both intrigued and fascinated, and pursed her lips trying to hold a smile as her fingers trace a path through that drawings, gently exploring the edges of each scribble on the paper, until the smile gave away.

And then, loud sounds startled her. A hustle.

Mingled with the rest of the usual sounds from the refuge, that one really frightened her. It seemed like a frantic display of anger, with a distinctive female voice highlighting from the rest.

She worried at first because she heard it close, and as the seconds passed, it feels that it mixed with the rest of the echoes in the place.

Looking over her shoulders and straying her gaze to try to identify that voice again, she could most certainty say that it was Joyce's.

The sole idea that something could possibly enraged her in that way kind of shocked her, as well as it was unsettling. She hoped that it hadn't been someone…

Though she tried again to distract herself and turned her attention on was intriguing for her. And once again, she turned over another layer.

The trace of symbols began to occupy almost the entire width of the paper, with the exception of the narrow edges where more doodles randomly appeared to have its own place reserved; some intertwined in the same way as the tree roots on the cover, intuiting that they were like the symbols traces that were reproduced with different combinations throughout the length and width of the paper layer. Playing with her lower lip while smiling, she turned another layer over.

Suddenly, there was something else there, and as soon as she flipped the layer of paper with her fingers, something moved behind; it was about 3 or 5 layers ahead. Something seemed loose.

She flipped through the layers carefully but quick and found it, like digging up for something.

A small piece of paper folded several times.

And again, another sound alarmed her.

She turned quickly, stifling an exclamation as she felt a light blow against the base of the structure, the vibration quickly ran through the small place where she was.

Looking toward the entrance for a few moments, at the edge of the stairs, she expected to see something. An intrusion.

She pulled the open object closer to her, and stood slowly, paying attention to every sound, and watching alertly to the door. Her heart pounding in a loud but cautious pace.

But then, nothing happened.

Not a sound. Not even another bang.

Just normal rustle on the ground floor.

She blinked, somewhat at ease but confuse, breathing out with frustration at the feel of awkwardness that this anxiety still caused in her by every sound that distressed her. And with the little treasure she seemed have found, she turned to the cot to sit.

"Good morning…?"

She heard softly.

Stifling a cry, she turned towards the entrance standing up in a jump.

Heart in her mouth and having stepped back a couple of steps, she spotted Cayde at the entrance, Ghost hovering over his shoulder, wiggling her back blades with interest.

"Wow! I didn't mean to scare you. My fault!" He said in a giggle while entering with hesitant steps.

She trembled, not from fear but from the adrenaline of the moment, realizing later what was lying on the floor, scattered.

She first noted the shine in his eyes and his puzzled expression and realized what he was looking at. Looking at her feet, she found this thing lying face down on the floor, all its paper body folded under the cover among other things.

She hurried to pick it up, kneeling abruptly and feeling the blush go up her neck and ears, while her fingers trembled trying to take what she had dropped so recklessly.

In a couple of calm steps, she saw his boots approaching her, causing her even more tension. He knelt in front of her making her look up with a worried face. Her eyes were beginning to flood with tears.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to break it-! I uhmm-!"

"Wow, hey… Lis, relax..." He said with a flicker of light blinking inside his hood, resting a hand on her shoulder. His eyes then looked down to see how Tulisse held the object in question as something precious. He gazed her again, keenly. "It's a book. You didn't break it. It just… slipped," He added more gently.

Again, she could admire all his expression at this distance, not being able to look away.

She was dumbfounded, totally speechless.

It was the first time she perceived this closeness in his voice. Even more, it gave her the feeling that those rigid features of his had softened when he was watching her.

She hesitated as she looked away, turning her attention back to the object of her interest held warily at her bosom. When she loose her arms, it placed onto her forearms and she carefully examined it, checking with relief that except for the mess of the things contained in the paper body, it was miraculously intact.

"See? Safe and sound!" Cayde whispered again as she looked up at him, his hand barely caressing from her shoulder to her arm with a gentle squeeze.

Tulisse tried to not mind the gesture that felt so evident despite the sweater, and pursed her lips with an itching feeling before even be brave enough to look him in the eye again. Her whole face felt hot.

She only held his gaze for a few seconds noting his insistence to keep her gaze on him, and when she returned the attention, there was shyness at the word he had used.

"A book…?" She muttered. Her voice was barely a whisper.

He nodded with a fleeting blink in his voice, still watching her.

However, something in how the girl's expressions changed from complete uneasiness to obvious shame caught his attention. Before he even say a word, and managing to understand by the blush on her cheeks and those expressive and captivating gray eyes of hers what was going on, he leaned a bit closer and spoke under his breath, achieving the necessary intimacy to make her feel safe.

"Wanna know what a book is…?" He whispered, making the faint glow of his modulator catch her attention.

She looked so embarrassed. He could see that she barely nodded.

Bright on his vocal cords were the closest thing to an expression of affection in what could be read as a smile.

"Alright! Lemme show you..." Is all he said before sitting in front of her, crossed legs.

Tulisse watched him closely. Her cautious and wary gaze attentive to every movement.

Having settled down, Cayde gestured playfully to Tullisse to return him what seemed to be more than just a dull object, and hesitant, shy to look at him, she barely moved her arms offering it, and observing how, what seemed to her a complete discovery, for him it was something that could be pass as something usual, such as knowing how to take a book.

"This… is a book. It is like a bunch of cool ideas, thoughts, things you really like, and you want to put together in words," Ghost lean her shell down, avoiding eye contact with him. "And… when you put them all together, you can bound it up, like this one; with a nice leather hard cover, or with you like the most, and the number of sheets that are necessary. All to express yourself! And with the chance that even when thousands of years pass, those ideas don't die and can be read by other people," He described gleefully while closing and moving the book in all angles possible to show her, and observing how Tulisse's expressions were captured not only by his words but by the dimension that this new discovery now mean for her. He couldn't help but watch her.

"Really?" She looked at him. There was wonder in her eyes.

Cayde chuckled, seeing her again in awe. A sentiment that made him feel completely captivated. "Yeah! For real!" His voice pulsated with joy.

"Does this have your ideas?" Tulisse insisted thrilled, sharing her attention between him and the book. She shifted in her spot, slightly moving closer to him.

"Well, not _my_ ideas, exactly. But someone else's..." He replied hesitantly and without losing his charisma, "I have this one because I like its ideas in particular… besides that it was practically with me when Ghost woke me up..." He added then, now holding it lightly with both hands while his forearms on the knees.

Though Tulisse was still puzzled, and frown looking the book. "And how do you know...?" She asked.

Cayde leaned closer, tilting his head as his eyes kept admiring all her expressions, still enthralled. "What d'you mean…?"

"Those ideas you say… how do you know they are same as yours?" She asked, her deep voice in a lower tone, intrigued and shy, as she glanced warily at Ghost watching her.

Cayde blinked confused. "You mean… read or write?" He asked in a more personal tone.

Suddenly, all he could notice was the sorry expression obscuring that bright eyes.

Ghost then appeared in his sight and rolled her rear blades looking for her companion's attention with a sharp look. There was a silent reproach that made him understand. _Crap_.

She, in the other hand, felt dejected, feeling how slowly embarrassment was swallow her down. Her hands pinching the cuffs of her sweater anxiously.

"Tulisse..."

A soft call, enough to notice the glow in his voice have her attention.

He was looking at her, bright eyes full of intent. There was something in that look that felt warm yet made her hesitated again. The shame of being a hopeless creature that was not able of know something as simple as that made her feel horrible, a lump crushing in her throat didn't let her respond, and look down again at her trembling hands.

And in that close silence, she heard him murmur.

"Wanna learn…?"

He saw her look up, and she looked troubled. Her lips trembled with the feeling of something she recognized as shameful. Tense, she nodded subtly and looking into his eyes again.

Cayde straightened a little, agreeing with a gentle whisper and still looking at her with comforting eyes. He saw her feel so sorry of herself, so diminish of herself, so insignificant. Those expressive and pleading eyes seemed to ask to please stop looking at her, because she may not deserve such attention.

There was this feeling of uneasiness growing in him when he saw her like this. A restlessness that made him tense, like recalling something it must be forget.

It was not this case though, but the resemblance was there. Painfully and outrageously there, that he refused to believe that was how things work.

She was not insignificant.

Absolutely _no_.

He stood up, while she carefully followed his every move, standing with the book in his right hand and made a playful gesture with his free one to follow her. Tulisse hesitated first, confused, but then, helping herself with both her hands stood up, noticing Ghost following her close from behind.

"C'mere..." He called in a hushed tone, and with the same distracted attitude he sat down on the cot, settling himself with his legs hanging crossed by the low height. Tulisse looked at him skeptically as he opened the book again, and then looking at her later with lively eyes. "It's okay! Come, join me…" He insisted with a relaxed gesture.

She narrowed the distance in two steps, still shy and pinching the sleeves of the sweater, and sat down beside him slowly; as if with caution, resting her impatient hands on her knees, her body, tense. He leaned his head jokingly, and was looking for her gaze again, like last night by the fire. Still doubting to see him, she finally looked up, knowing for sure that the honesty of his intentions to try to make her smile was to make her feel welcomed, _safe_.

Then, she granted him one.

"No long faces! Okay? Or I really going to believe that I'm that creepy…" He joked with complicity.

Tulisse smile even more, pursing her lips and shaking timidly her head to that suggestion with the same complicity. Her eyes tried to find somewhere else to lose her attention because of the proximity, but she couldn't help but glancing him again. The mere action to clap eyes on him made her face burn.

He chuckled and made an inquiring look, lighting in a warm glow the inside of his hood before turn his attention back to the book and run a few pages with his fingers, carefully hiding those loose papers that she was extremely curious to see.

* * *

The path down the hill was stony and twisted its way through the withered thickets, running down the subtle slope with a winding barely visible from great distance; hidden from prying eyes and those who were unfamiliar with the area. Guarded with suspicion from hostile marauders who might venture to ambush them.

The recon group of 4 people walked down through it, lifting the dust in their path that the dry wind blowing from the distant plains of the Red Desert, kilometers below, swirled into the hot midday air, taking it away.

From that small ravine it could be see the pale horizon of the clear sky against the opaque and clayey tone of the wasteland, devoid of any life from where they had walked for several weeks before reaching this place. It could also be seen some of the gentlest peaks several miles away, denoting the great distance they had covered. Where the mountain range confused their silhouette with the sky, while the heat of the sun made their silhouette dance.

She knew how far they were from that place.

All that journey had been done on foot. She could still feel the stitches on the soles of her feet.

She resumed her march with her other 3 companions, but not before admiring that sight again with other eyes, leaving the sharpness with which she needed to be able to distinguish a marauder, even on its active camouflage, or dinner. Just to distract himself a little bit.

She loved these views, and treasured these rare moments.

The simplicity of looking at the vastness of a landscape and admire.

Just admire.

No hunting.

"Brooding...? Thinking about the future, or just posing...?"

A soft melodious voice brought her out of that trance. Yara was there, widening a soft smile with brown eyes and bronzed round cheekbones.

"That's overrated, hun! I was just relaxing…" Joyce replied quickly. Her eyes lit with the same vigor as the heat of the sun as she grimaced back. Both returned to the road without much more word than the quiet company.

They continued the walk a few more meters before crossing again word, just small talk; generally, these types of rounds were kept silent, and they walked without saying a word most of the time until they reached the surveillance site, taking into account the patrol report from the previous group to know which was the next sector to guard, and most important, if it had been quiet.

Her feet reminded her once again the journey each time they need to make long detours in the distance when they were on the itinerary of the day.

Hopefully, and according to the previous patrol, it wouldn't be much to do as soon as they got there. ' _This place is as dead as a dreg in the open_ ' were the words of one of her colleagues on the radio.

"So... what's the plan, boss? Just scouting?" Said one of the four, a tanned dark-haired man with intense brown eyes. Sniper rifle in hand, scanning the small grove at the end of the ravine while wiping his sweat with the back of his hand.

"Scouting and lunching. It's noon and I'm starving! A good chunk of meat could do the magic…" Joyce joked with a smile. The murmur of laughter stirred in the air.

"Yeah, yesterday was my last serving. I don't think there'll be another for a day or two, or 'til we get past The Passage… I guess…" That man sounded disheartened while dodging a low branch of a wild privet.

"Don't be so dramatic, friend! Sure you can settle for with some bone for stew…" Yara jested him.

"Just like him: bone lazy and dull…" The fourth man, a bald middle-age guy, chipped in while was at the head of the patrol, diligent and leading the way as they talked.

"Or just pure tubers and broth. 'with a kick', just as he likes it…" Joyce added with a grin. "Because he already ate everything that walks on this side of the mountain. Or smoked it…"

There was guffaw, hushed but heartfelt as they continued their way under the shelter of modest bushes.

"Mankind will have gone to hell a millennia ago, but you collapsed half an ecosystem in a couple of weeks, buddy!" Yara added smilingly.

"Oh, shut up already! Who was looking for something to sink her teeth less than 5 minutes ago?" That man retorted.

"Yeah! If you've left anything standing!" The blonde scoffed.

" _But_ if we find it, make it our secret. This conversation is getting me hungry..."

"Just the 4 of us, pal. There's just us and whatever is alive in this place, 'cause everything looks pretty dead to me… as extinct as we are…" The chestnut-colored eyebrows on Joyce's freckled face arched, and there was laughter again.

They walked through the old twisted trunks of privets again in silence, dodging branches and trying to keep the rustling of those dry stems from alarming anything hidden or lurking for any unfortunate traveler. Or anything that had the misfortune of being roasted.

Their footsteps led them back to an austere path, shrubby bushes a few meters ahead before reaching their destination: a small ravine with a mound of rock formations that split into four parts and were concealed by rocky bushes; necessarily high enough to keep a full watch on the entire desert plain behind them, the grassland meadow to the northwest and the scrubby rocky hill to the east, and well-sheltered enough from both the midday steppe heat and any hostile sighting.

That was the usual spot to be in that area, which didn't mean they had to stay there for the entire round, unfortunately; two people were to remain with the channel open and the beacon positioned and in frequency with the base for any update. The other two, well ... whether they like it or not, they had to go for a stroll.

She had to stay; it was her job. Zac is her black sheep, even though he's a good boy.

It wasn't very difficult to decide who would do the first round.

Except, for just a little detail.

"I'll go first. I trust Yara's instincts," The other guy announced. Joyce looked up with the radio beacon in her hands, tense. "Maybe there's something interesting down there, don't you think?"

There was a grimace in that guy's face, and too much milliseconds of his attention perched on the girl.

"Apart from rocks and some vermin? A marauder?" Yara replied softly, lifting that little chin of hers with a slight curve in her lips, but not showing the same subtlety in the honey in her eyes. Joyce turned her attention to the delicate artifact in her bag, the freckles on her cheeks arching in grin with irony. "I trust you will do it but yourself well with your little toy. I brought my knives and rifle."

"Oh yeah! Knives specially... She has them hidden where you cannot imagine. Careful…" Zac added reading between lines. This other man, hid the bitter taste of a hard comeback, just smiling and shaking his head in understanding.

"Time to work, ladies. The radio beacon is on. They'll want our first report in 15'," Joyce chimed in sharply, now readying his rifle. "We have your backs from here." The gleam in her clear eyes found Yara's brownish irises, and she smiled.

"As usual! Just... Bring me some food…" The tanned man added in a hush tone, fitting the scope into his long-range rifle.

Both women looked at each other, without further ado.

As usual.

* * *

The hot breath of the desert brought the hiss of the wind inside the hideout, as if breathing on the nape of both parties, cooling the sweat of the first half hour in that place after several gulps of water, just to prevent the aridity of that desolate scenery to dehydrate them.

The first quarter of an hour went smoothly. Both Yara and that bald man began to patrol the designated areas, with nothing more new than the hillside, bushes and cliffs; no more than lizards crawling and an occasional snake, fleeing from the human presence on the road, which was a good chance to joke about the lack of prey to munch something while the patrol passed. There were 3 more hours ahead.

" _I think these shrooms I found here could be useful for you, Zac. Could bet they're like to the ones I saw you let dry a couple of weeks ago…_ " The bald man's taciturn voice was heard jokingly on the radio.

"You'd be surprised to know how many eatable things you can find in the wasteland, and how useful some plants or fungi can be," Zac replied as he scanned down the hill, one eye on the sights of his rifle, lying on the ground and now with a bandana on his sweaty forehead. "My 'treats' are one of them. And a man from the coast would never know…" Joyce grinned, as she marked with a small pencil a map on the side of the foot of her rifle. "Some can kill you tho. May also die just to touch'em. And man… Can tell those things you're seeing right now more than sure are tainted, and not with twilight spores…"

"Shit Fallen, you say…?" Joyce chimed in, playful.

"Yeah, shit Fallen. That's what I said…"

The answer was sly while on the other side of the frequency there were loud insults. Joyce and Zac cackled.

" _Ugh, you're so gross..._ " Yara's soft voice sounded, though disgusted, humorous.

"Hey, don't say he didn't ask for it. Nobody talks 'bout what I smoke, much less a coastal boy," Zac responded, adjusting his bandana for a few moments and just turning the rifle to scan another sector in the distance, just where his partner was several meters down the hill. His figure stood up straight with one arm in the air, making signs. "You're an ass, Harl!" He chuckled, recognizing the gesture from afar.

" _That's how coastal boys say hello, didn't you know?_ " The bald man replied. Zac just mumbled, still smiling.

Joyce only let out a scoff and scanned for her partner. Turning barely the sight of her rifle in the distance, not being difficult to find her. Her eye was trained for these things. Specially to find her.

She was retracing a high grass path half a kilometer away, being remarkably careful to not encounter any unpleasant surprises, or a pothole where she might get stuck or break a leg. With the full confidence that she didn't even need to look up because she knew someone else was watching her steps and looking over her.

A sensation filled her chest and stirred a few inches to her belly as she watched her walk exploring the field knowing that she was there, watching her, caring for her. A smile appeared almost without realizing it.

And suddenly, she turned around, and with that trained eye she had, she could tell she was smiling too, and what corners of her face lit up just by looking at her.

"What's your report, hun? Everything good on the northwest?" She asked having her attention."

" _The usual. Thickets, sand… some rocks… Nothing that wasn't here 2 hours ago_ ," Yara replied, making her way again.

"And there won't be a snack-time this time..." Zac huffed.

"You really have a serious anxiety problem, bud..." Joyce said to him as she continued to scan the field, her eyes always where Yara was.

"Normal thing considering today's earlier report..." He replied.

Joyce said nothing.

The four did not speak again for a while.

* * *

"Hey..."

There was a murmur.

Zac called her under his breath, the slight drag on the stony ground as he turned towards her was heard. Joyce barely turned her head enough to see the contrast of her companion's dark features lit by the late afternoon sun. "You'll tell me what's happening…? Darwin didn't tell much before leaving. I was waking up from my night watch..."

"'bout what…?" Joyce mused.

"C'mon dude. Don't turn me around. I know things aren't going okay because they asked us to double the patrols and Darwin was quieter than usual when he told us 'bout this one. And that jackass... Dude! More a pain in the ass than usual...!" There was annoyance, even boredom at that hint of someone. "I have a good nose for things happening... And I know when shit's going on..." Brown eyes studied Joyce's every gesture, exactly as anyone in her squad. Just as she knew.

"Oh, you talk about Mr. Jerk..." Joyce said quietly but with a hint of rancor, returning to the rifle scope as a vital necessity.

"Yeah, same..." He mumbled, also watching his other companion, causing the Adam's apple to stir uneasily in his throat, not out of discomfort, but out of contained annoyance. "He didn't make happy comments, they told me; Harl himself told me. Then Darwin appeared sayin' we must reinforce the patrols, even in areas as dead as this..." Joyce remained silent and felt the restlessness of her companion in the back of her neck. "He said that we had to be aware of any movement of those four-armed cockroaches in the area, but we already told him there's nothing here. That it's impossible that they have followed us. I myself saw'em move to the northwest again. I'm sure!" He insisted.

"I know," Is the only thing he heard in response.

He paused briefly, watching his companion's pace until he saw him momentarily lose himself behind some bushes, apparently, to take a moment of solitude.

Taking advantage of his partner's privacy, he turned back to her.

"Joyce, seriously..." This time, his voice was more hasty. The blonde turned again, holding back and trying to get through this moment without a hint of concern.

"What the hell's going on…?"

She really didn't want to answer.

She knew Darwin. He never left something to chance. There was not a single day of service where he omitted information to his squad.

Neither someone who take a decision lightly.

He wouldn't if there wasn't necessary.

There was always a reason.

"We need to put together a strategy to cross The Passage. There're Devils down the road," Is all she answered. His partner frowned, confused.

"Did they follow us...?" He asked, appalled.

"No. It's just an extraction squad. They're mining the place," Joyce hastened to refute. She searched for the words, before justifying herself. "We need a plan to move forward."

"...Or we are dead, isn't it?" The man interrupted.

"That's not what I said," The woman sounded uncomfortable.

"You don't need to mess around, J... I told you I can tell when things went south…" Zac tried to turn to the landscape ahead, really trying to focus on his task.

"There's no shit going on, Zachary..." She stated, trying to keep her composure.

"That's not what it seems, but just as I said, I know when there's shit going on… and I know how to tell by the people around me that something's wrong, even more 'cause of that jackass who was way too much salty before leaving earlier, so-"

"Zachary, shut up," Joyce lost her patience. There was an ellipsis, Zac did not say anything. "There is no shit going on. We just need a plan, and that's all."

His companion took note with a whisper while turning back to check that everything was in order with his companion; he had advanced several meters while eyeing suspiciously everywhere, patrolling the area.

They didn't speak again for a while, as if they both needed that some personal space amidst the tension of moments ago.

She returned to guard her partner, exactly where she had left her, strolling through the pastureland down the hill, almost reaching the end of the ravine.

A familiar sensation began to corrode her spine.

That old feeling. Icy and stabbing.

And the tension seemed to take hold of every fiber she had, strangling every nerve.

That tremor, threatening, wanting to return.

"You know all this shit's a problem. You know that, don't you, Joyce?" Zac muttered suddenly.

Joyce did not reply. Her concentration remained clinging to the distant figure of Yara.

The tension was in the air, _again_.

"There were shit-talking again, y'know..." He insisted, "Not just because of a few days ago. But for everything-"

"I know," Her voice interrupted him almost mechanically, devoid of emotion. _Severe_.

She inhaled and exhaled. Almost like a metamorphosis.

"What are we going to do…?"

Another pause. Another breath.

"We need a plan..." Is all she said.

And almost instantly, a soft voice broke the trance.

" _Hey, Joyce…?_ "

"Yeah, hun. What's up?" Joyce tried to regain concentration and the usual liveliness of her voice once more.

" _Are you checking on me...?_ "

She tried to corroborate her partner position in a hesitant voice. "'Course I am. Why…" Joyce sounded confused as she relocated Yara's figure in the distance.

" _So... Are you seeing what I'm seeing… don't you?_ " There was doubt in Yara's voice as she spoke to her, as if she felt that there was something Joyce wasn't telling her.

She even wanted to mention it.

And so, she wasn't to let anything for granted if what her partner said wasn't a minor observation.

Almost without needing to mention it, Zac sat up reaching for his field glasses to take note of what Yara wanted to show them with that urgency.

" _Half a mile further northwest, almost to the bottom of the hills. Do you guys see it...?_ " She urged, " _I need confirmation..._ " The softness of Yara's voice trembled with anxiety.

Joyce and Zac looked for the exact spot from their partner's position to find out what it was that she wanted to show them. The roller of Zac's field glasses trying to focus that figure on the distance was the only thing heard in the spot. It was a silhouette, almost blurred by the reflection of the sun burning against the wasteland, and the worn color against the opaque tone of the rocky ground.

A twisted structure, metallic, but thick and almost intact to have been there for too long, totally still. A piece of machinery.

 _Fallen_.

" _Please, tell me I'm not seeing things,_ " Yara insisted. Zac look for his partner's gaze, his brow furrowed in confusion, absorbed.

Joyce was silent.

" _Joyce...?!_ "

"Yeah! I'm here! I see it!" She replied loudly.

"That's a Walker..." Zac stammered, as if it was an apparition.

"That _was_ a Walker..." She reformulated, turning to him.

That look was on again. Those fiery blue eyes, the cunning grimace and mischief seemed to be back.

She was hunting again…

"And _that_ is the plan..." She added.

* * *

He had no idea how long had passed between trying to start an insightful explanation and go for the practical exercise, rambling from time to time, sometimes putting together a sound explanation and ending up getting lost, and finally trying to rethink it without sounding complete stupid; and in others, he was so eager to see her when he captured her attention in that unique expression of wonder of hers, that she could only express with those bright eyes, faintly biting her lower lip like a tic that made him notice that she was so into this, keep looking at him while listening to him.

Light be damned if he didn't feel completely dizzy when she looked at him like that! As if every word he spoke was hiding the most incredible secret she had ever heard. As if they were really a treasure.

He go back on his words several times, laughing and making her laugh, whispering jokes to try to get out of the awkwardness of the situation, and sometimes just saying nothing, just watching her try to hold back the laughter and hide the mocking grimace behind her hands when his mistake was evident. Studying each of her reactions and even the slightest of details of her cheeks, and especially, the sound of her voice.

Nor did he realize the moment when Ghost stealthy and a spectator of both, decided to intervene to his aid; eager in all her crest, and gleefully turning her blades every time she heard the girl guess some of her reasoning, hovering over Tulisse's shoulder with total confidence and projecting in a more fluid and concrete way those details in which he lost himself in his own sayings, while he lost himself in those small moments.

In quiet contemplation, or more looking at someone else.

He not even noticed when he leaned back on the cot and keep seeing her silhouette drawn against the blue glow of Ghost projections, listening to her. Just as like as that, gazing at her.

* * *

"You're making me look bad, buddy," He reproached playfully after a while, still lying down. Legs crossed coming out of the cot and accentuating the brightness of his gaze.

" _I just noticed your difficulties expressing yourself_ ," Ghost replied innocently and in her soft tone. Tulisse shrugged, holding her smile and spying on him.

"That's not true. My voice didn't falter once. Did you hear me hesitate?" Cayde challenged teasingly and pointed at her as he weighted his body onto the other arm.

" _Yes. Like 20 times_ ," The small thing arched slightly in the air in an ironic tone.

"You're lying. My voice didn't waver for a second," He reaffirmed, shaking his head proudly and laying back onto his forearms.

" _That's not true_ ," Ghost insisted, turning her attention back to Tulisse who couldn't help but chuckle at them.

"Liar…" Cayde hummed, turning on the voice module as he stared off at the rest of the place with carefree gestures.

" _That's not what Joyce said..._ " The little thing suggested in a sardonic and equally roguish tone.

Cayde froze, flabbergasted, heavily dropping his mounted leg on top of the other with a thud, watching Ghost hide behind Tulisse's figure, spinning her rear blades with mechanical but frightened slowness.

His attention shifted to the girl who was laughing. She then turned to him, eyes glowing with glee, a bright smile on her face making her cheeks blush, and a few strands of chestnut-brown hair barely falling from her shoulder from the sudden movement.

He was astonished a second time.

"Don't believe that lil' prankster. She likes to question authority," He teased as he pointed at her several times playing an imaginary trigger while Tulisse giggled, Ghost floated behind her dodging the shots.

"Hmmm I don't know. She's a good teacher," Tulisse teased him cheerfully.

"Oh it's that so huh!" Cayde reacted humorously, ceasing to play with Ghost and turning his attention at her with a teasing snub.

Tulisse smile widen, sneaking her laughter between her lips. "Yeah… I wouldn't question Joyce's authority either," She quipped at the end, following the same playful tone.

Cayde turned his gaze to her with a sly expression of as his eyes shone brighter. "You regret what you're implying…?" He dared.

And raising her chin with a grin, she did not.

He swiftly straightened up using his arms and settled himself casually, turning completely to her; the left leg extended out of the cot and slightly bent, the other letting hang his right foot over the cot, both elbows resting on his knees, leaning to close the distance, and staring at her.

She barely jerked back, blinking in surprise, controlling through each of his sudden movements. They were looking at each other.

"OK, fast-learner. _Shoot_..." He murmured, the depth in his voice intensifying the bluish shine of his pupils.

Tulisse stared him. His whole attention was on her and in her every emotion written in her face.

Settling in on the immerse of his attention and the invitation extended as a dare, she turned slowly towards him, sitting right face to face in the exact same position, barely touching their knees.

Holding the book in her hands and without hesitation, she ran her fingers down smoothly on the junction of the spine to make sure she lose track on what sheet she was, and giving him fleeting glances at him, who by any means wanted to take his cunning eyes off her, she lap her lower lip subtly, though starting back at him with the blaze of her own eyes.

" _I remember him as... if it were yesterday. Rocking like a ship as he arrived... at... the door of the inn and behind him... he dragged with... a kind of hook... his sea chest..._ " She recited each word with her deep voice, with subtle and disguised spaces pacing her reading, and from time to time turning her gaze toward her keen listener. " _He was a... tall, strong... heavy man ... with the color of... old bronze that... the oceans leave on the skin... his tarry ponytail... fell on him… The shoulders… of a coat that… had… been… blue..._ "

Cayde's eyes widened suggestively first, barely narrowing his eyes in a sly way later, tilting his head as if straining his ear and catching her attention, as if searching for something. She responded by sketching a grimace at the corner of her lips and resumed her reading.

" _His hands were ragged and scarred, with black and broken nails... and the scar that crossed his... cheek ... was like a sinister mark_ ," She knew he muttered, lighting her face with the glow of his cords. When she pried her eyes a bit, finding him faking surprise on what she had just described, asserting which was indeed a scary sight, the second he got her attention, he peeked if the little scene had managed to distract her. She only replied with a smirk and gleeful eyes. " _I remember him, looking round the cove and whistling…_ " She widened her smile, achieving what she expected: frustration. Or he just been a dork.

He shook his head, looking dejected, implying he was defeated, and almost instantly returning his gaze, hoping to catch her off guard. She only grinned more at his expenses.

" _Suddenly… he began to sing that old sea-song… which I later… so often would hear: 'Fifteen men in the dead man's chest… Yo-hoo! Yo-hoo! And... a bottle of rum!'_ "

She looked up from the book at him, who had rested his head on the hand resting on his knee and was watching her silence. Tulisse stifled herself to giggle as best she could just to flavor this eager feeling about his entire expression: _defeat_.

" _Excellent!_ " Ghost cheered, whirling her blades in merriment. She turned to Cayde, mechanically turning all her blades like a clock, and making a small point with a smug voice. " _She not even hesitated..._ "

Tulisse sniggered, and then looked back at him again. "I have a good teacher..." She inferred, unable to hide the joy in her eyes.

Cayde scoffed pointing at them again playfully. "Oh, I'm so going to remember this, you two!"

Her glee filled the small space as she carried the book to her chest between her arms like the treasure it was. Her eyes flickered with a special glow every time she looked at him and laughed again.

Light be damned if this woman didn't have him knockout!

He caught her joy, and soon the light of his voice joined to her happiness. Just keep gawking at her.

However, a caught was heard and as soon they hear it the three of them turned to the entrance caught by surprise.

Carina stood in the doorway, a friendly smile on her face and hands on the cardigan in a relaxed way as she watched them.

"Oh hey, Doc! What's up?" Cayde sat straight on the cot casually as Tulisse closed the book and avoided clumsily to looked her.

"Everything's fine. I was just… checking out," Carina replied kindly. She took her time reading the room. "So… I was wondering why my ears weren't buzzing, and here you are!" She added with a tease, approaching them with relaxed mood.

"You're hurting my feelings! Is this a way you say you missed me?" He exaggerated putting his hands on his chest.

"Hmmm…No, but… it's not hard to notice when you are not bugging around," She replied playing along, while he turned to look at his smug ghost and waved his finger at her, "Even so 5 hours have passed since the last time we spoke..."

Cayde turned to her shocked. "WHAT?!"

"Oh yes, you have such a charm, indeed. Someone can notice when you're not around after a while. I was the first," She smiled jokily.

"I hmmm! I totally lost it," He excused himself slightly embarrassed, waving his hands and shaking his head. Carina just nodded still smiling and muttered in understanding with a gesture of her hands.

It wasn't until a few seconds after noticing the woman's implied expressions that Cayde realize with frustration, shaking his head and looking first at Carina, and then at Tulisse, who smiled but was still confused because of the whole situation.

"Oh man! I _completely_ lost it! My fault, seriously. It wasn't on purpose, Doc. I swear…" He sounded apologetic.

Beside him, Tulisse looked first at Ghost, then Cayde, and finally at Carina. "What's wrong…?" She asked in a puzzled whisper to him who turned to her hesitantly.

" _He promised he was going to escort you with Dr. Bright_ ," Ghost answer, turning her blades and her eye towards the girl. " _And he forgot it..._ " She added as if it was a secret. Tulisse giggled marking her cheeks and turning her gaze to him.

"Traitor..." He mumbled as a joke, even mimicking at the resounding expression of surprise on his mechanical features.

The little device omitted to reply to her owner, and swirling as if it was offended, she addressed to the woman. " _He was distracted helping Tulisse, Dr. Bright_ ," Ghost explained. " _He was very committed, and he simply forgot._ "

Tulisse looked down with a smile on her cheeks and blush all over her face, shifting in her spot and holding the book in her arms and then hardly looking up at Carina, hiding a brief and shy glance at Cayde. He, in the other hand, lean his forearms to his knees, moving his legs and toying with his hands, glancing to who was beside him before turning fully to the woman.

"Thank you for the explanation. I guess is normal to forget things. It's a very human flaw," She justified, making her gentle features on her languid features break into a soft smile.

Cayde looked up, stunned at her words.

"But! Even so it was for that… Right now, we need you downstairs," She said later, trying to keep the low key. " _Something_ came up... and she must join me on the infirmary for a medical examination," She added, raising her thin eyebrows.

He understood the first thing.

Looking down first, he turned then to Tulisse.

She noticed it almost instantly, and the slight smile she had on her face began to fade. He saw the expression of solemnity and unease first in his features with the naked eye, and then the glow of his eyes projecting those feelings.

"You'll tell 'bout the old sailor when I get back, okay…?" He said in a low voice, and he saw then the light in those vivid eyes begin to wane in a dull melancholic glow.

It took her a few moments, but she looked up at him and nodded reluctantly.

Something in her reaction suggested him that this silent and warm understanding was enough for him to be unspoken. His voice modulator blinked faintly satisfied before standing up.

She did the same, leaving the book gently on the cot, and keep her head bowed and without mentioning a word, followed them.

The three went down the staircase. Carina with Tulisse at her side, carrying her with a gentle hand on her shoulder and speaking some kind words to her. Behind them was Cayde, with his usual gait, but even so without losing sight of the girl's reactions.

It wasn't something anyone would notice, but he did. She was shaking.

Her body language so clear, arms encircling her abdomen, shoulders contracted, and her voice barely a whisper.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Carina turned to him, still holding the girl with her right arm. The expression of feigned casualty and a dull smile on her thin lips. "Yara may have found something useful. Joyce gave us confirmation."

"That's a good thing, actually…" Cayde shifted uncomfortably, arms folded and giving Tulisse slight glances.

"Yes, but they're heading back and that's why we need help to get them here safely... and well…" Carina accentuated her gaze, signifying her words.

Cayde nodded and his entire expression was notoriously more solemn. "I will," He stated.

Carina pursed her lips in a forced smile and then turned to Tulisse. "And… we'll carry on our way, dear! Okay?" She murmured gently.

The girl nodded without looking up from the floor with a faint smile. Her whole figure shrunk.

He saw her small, veiled, and expressionless again, a clear contrast to that glow he knew. The very one he knew very well, and the one who wanted always to see.

"Hey, Lis..."

She looked up, hopeful, like the very first time he called her like that.

"You'll tell me when I get back, right?" He reminded her. His expression full of intent.

Tulisse blinked, a faint but kind smile returning to her face. "I will," She murmured.

He stared her for a few minutes, and so did she, both with the same emotion.

It was a moment, silent but tangible. It was enough.

She walked with Carina down the infirmary and get through the Doctor's keen eye.

He resupplied himself in the armory, loaded his hand cannon back into its holster, and set the knife into his belt for a long walk.


End file.
